Compassion

 The last six things we've gone over are mostly characteristics that we should try to have in order for our relationship with Christ to grow. The rest of the characteristics we'll go over are things we will learn from Christ when we do that. Things that we should strive to have. The first is compassion.

    Compassion is simple, yet so lacking in our world. And as I remind you in just about every post, our job as christians is to live out our lives resembling Jesus as best we can. Well, jesus was all about love, in fact the bible says "God is love."

    


Love is the foundation for compassion.


  Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.    1 Corinthians 13:4-8

     
      In older versions of the bible you will find that they use the word charity in place of the word love, this is because the Hebrew word for love means what the verse above describes which in our language is better described with the word charity. It is the act of dieing to ones self, and living for others. So you see, compassion and love go hand in hand.  
    It seems ironic to me that the worlds idea of love is a good feeling you get when someone treats you right, when in reality love is an action that we are to show. While compassion is seen as the act of doing something for others, when in reality it is the act of feeling with and for them.
    Many times when we think of compassion we're reminded of those commercials we see with young orphaned children in some third world country, and the people who give up their lives to go there and help them. That is definitely compassion. But does that mean we can't be compassionate here at home? Surely not.
     In fact compassion can and should reach a much broader range of actions then just feeding the hungry. There are people here among you and me who are hurting and need the hope we keep tucked away in our hearts.They need Christ's love. The best way that we can show them that is by filling ourselves so full of it that it overflows onto others. This goes back to having a quiet time with Christ, for how can we be like Him if we aren't spending time with Him? How can we poor out His love on others if we don't soak enough up ourselves?
   Compassion, simply put, is having the heart of Christ. He came down to a sinful people who had already turned from Him once, knowing that He would be battered and beaten, frowned upon, hated and killed by them. Simply because He was not willing to let us die, and live eternally in a place created specifically for satin and his demons, at the hands of a merciless devil. If that is not a heart for humanity, then I don't know what is.
    We live in a world full of unloved people who would do anything to find love. So many people are hurting because they feel like no one cares about them. This is because we were designed to be cared about deelpy. And when we lack that, we feel like we're missing something. Simply because we are. But Christ is here to fill that void, we just have to let Him in.
   Our goal is to help them see that. So we must ask God to break our hearts for what breaks His. And give us such a burden for the lost that were not willing to let another perish without knowing about the salvation that they can receive. And most importantly, we must ask God to work in their lives and open their hearts to Him.

Dear Mom...

  Dear Mom,

     Well, it's the night before we leave for Grandma Doris's. And wouldn't you know, the house is in a mess and only the minority of the family is packed. As I sit in the living room with pillows all over the floor and dishes on the coffee table, I think : How in the world are we going to make it out of here early tomorrow?
   Furthermore I know that the fault is mostly mine, if I hadn't begged you to take me to that last minute fundraiser today everything would have been done already. The kitchen would be clean, the carpets vacuumed, the bags packed, the laundry done, and that bottomless pit that I call a closet wouldn't be full of dirty cloths. On top of all that, it's looking like dad's three day weekend is going to be shortened to two and a half days, or maybe even two and one fourth.

    So what can I do to make up for all of this? There is only one thing.

   It's going on midnight and I'm still up. I can feel my limbs slowly loosing their strength and my eyelids beginning to droop. But even when I catch a glimpse of that couch and think how good it would feel to just lay down and forget everything, I'll remind myself how many sleepless nights I've caused you and press on.          First I'll jump in the shower, hoping it'll wake me up a little. Then I'll sneak into the kitchen after your asleep, put on a pot of coffee and turn on some of my favorite ( and most energizing ) music and get to work. I'll wipe down all the tables, fold all the clothes, clean up my room, wash all the dishes, pack my own bags and recheck Charlene's already packed bags. All without making the noise of even a mouse. And when I'm standing over the sink and hear the rooster crow outside the window, I'll ignore his wake up call and finish my job. So that when six 'clock rolls around and the sun is rising over the horizon, I can go out on the front porch and watch the day begin while I drink my sixth cup of coffee.
     Then I'll come back inside, make the breakfast and clean the kitchen once more before helping load the car. This way, maybe we'll get out of here before noon. c ;
     And a few hours after that when I can hardly keep my eyes open, I'll try my best to be as civil as possible for the sake of the rest of the family.
    I don't think I'll get much sleep tonight, if I get any at all. And I know you told me to go to bed, I hope your not upset. But as I sit here thinking of all the things you've ever done for me, I can't help but feel that you deserve at least this.
   I know that the only reason the house will stay clean for three whole days is because we won't be here, and that as soon as we get back I'll be cleaning carpets and washing dishes again. But I guess that's okay, just so long as I have you to do it with.

  Thank you for all the time, care, love and sleepless nights you have put into raising me and the rest of us. And thank you most of all, for showing us who God is, and guiding us into loving relationships with the true, living Father who you know so well.When I have children, I hope I'm at least half the mother to them that you are to us.
 I love you.


~ Chelsey



P.S. ~ There's fresh coffee for you and dad in the kitchen. c ;

P.S.S. ~ When we get to Grandma's, I can take a nap right?