Compassion has a strong pull on the believer. When any of my friends or family members are hurting, I have a strong desire to go to them and just be with them. Offering kind or encouraging words is what we Christians do.
Throughout the days before my mom's death I received many messages and texts from my friends at work. They knew what was going on and had compassion on me, as I would for them. Unfortunately, they were a 45-minute drive away from me at work.
Several years ago my pastor saw me refusing to be thanked for something I had done for someone. He pulled me aside and told me, "It's okay to allow people to thank you. They want to do it. Just take their thanks as crowns and lay them at the feet of Jesus." He was right.
This sad situation of my mother's was the same thing. I knew there were people at work wanting to express their sadness to me for the loss of my mom. Deep, meaningful talks and hugs were waiting to occur but my friends and I were apart from one another. The next thing I knew I was in my car.
On my way to visit these friends I thought about these work relationships. So many unique and special people. Each one different, yet the same in their desire to show compassion.
Love is a two-way street. It can be a one-way street I guess but it's not nearly as meaningful. When I got to work the outpouring of love was amazing. It made me feel better and it made my friends feel better.
When we go through a tragedy in our lives or a struggle, we often want to retreat into our shell and be miserable all by ourselves. That is the opposite of what God wants us to do.
"2Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." - Galatians 6:2
"3 Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. 5 For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ. 6 If we are distressed, it is for your comfort and salvation; if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which produces in you patient endurance of the same sufferings we suffer. 7 And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort." - 2 Corinthians 1:3-7
We are an emotional people. We live, we love, sometimes it can be difficult to express that love and to receive it. Let it happen. Make it happen. In doing so we will fulfill the law of Christ - to love one another.
You Love Me Anyway - Sidewalk Prophets
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