Sunday Writing... 7/1/18... "COMPASSION"

Good morning!

Today's writing is about an "action-noun," a noun that indicates also some action, entitled by that same action-noun, "COMPASSION."  It isn't just sympathy or pity, but the desire to help the one upon whom you have compassion.  Thankfully, we have a compassionate God.

May you all have a week filled with compassion,
Jan and Corinne

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Today's Devotional:

"COMPASSION"

by

Jan Andersen

Some words that are nouns also convey a sense of action similar to a verb.  Take the word “compassion” for example.  Sometimes we think of it as sympathy, feeling sorry for someone, or even empathy which is being able to put yourself in another person’s situation and sharing in their feelings.  Compassion encompasses not just the feeling of sorrow for someone in distress, but also the desire to do something about it.  It refers to both the feelings and the intent to act which stems from those feelings.  

There are times when we feel great compassion for others.  If a child falls and scrapes a knee, we comfort them, but we don’t leave it at that.  We help them up, and if able we wash off the wound and perhaps bandage it up.  If a lost puppy hangs around and whimpers at our doorstep, we don’t just pat it on the head and ignore it.  We try to help it either by looking for its mother or owner, or taking care of it in some way.  When we see a person struggling to open a door with their hands full, we generally offer to help.  Those are ways we show mercy to others.

There are times when we hope that others show compassion for us.  Perhaps we have fallen on bad times through no fault of our own.  We hope that others will be understanding and even help us if able.  Or maybe we have suffered with a difficult health issue.  We would desire not just someone saying they are sorry to hear about it, but to at least offer up their prayers for us.  There may even be times when we have brought upon our lives through our own improper actions something devastating.  We don’t desire pity, but supportive assistance when we are trying to turn our lives around. 

Not everyone will be compassionate all the time.  Sometimes others will look at our misfortunes and turn a blind eye to us.  There are times when we ourselves turn our backs on others.  Sometimes we don’t know whether to be merciful to someone because we don’t know their whole story, or whether the story they are telling us is true or not, and we don’t want to enable them in poor choices.  Sometimes prejudices get in the way of showing kindness to others.  For those times when we have missed our chance to be compassionate to others, we ask God for forgiveness.  Because guess who is compassionate all the time?

Every sunrise is a new beginning.  Daybreak means the darkness is “broken” by the light of the sun.  Let this be evidence that there can always be a new beginning, no matter how far down we've fallen or how many times we've failed to show mercy, that God promises to break through and give us compassion every day.  God’s compassion also involves action - giving us help, forgiveness and salvation!

Lamentations 3:22-24  “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, ‘“The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him’”  

Dear Father God, thank you so much for your never-ending compassion on us, your sinful children.  Help us to show others the same mercy you give to us every day. May we shine your light in this dark world to bring you glory and lead others to salvation.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

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Song:

GREAT IS THY FAITHFULNESS

Don Moen

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Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion 

and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all of our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. 

+++  2 Corinthians 1:3-4  +++

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Prayers are lifted up daily for 

you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff

of Women's Focus Ministries.

Blog Writers:

Jan Andersen, Sandy Billingham, Carol Steficek,   

 Brother Thomas Ukwute, Jody Ward,  Karen Bennett, 

Collette Phillips, Cathy Friberg, and  Corinne Mustafa

Occasional Contributors:

Kathy Bireley,  Lynda Kinnard, Mary M. Wilkins,

Terri Baker, Beverley Napier, Kelly Dobyns

Glenna Williamson,  Shelly Keith, Amie Spruiell,

Lisabeth Lipp,  and Nandita Bhatnagar