The gift of compassion
Not too long ago, as I watched over my granddaughter, she exuberantly dashed up and down the hallway, laughing in glee for no particular reason. Little brother was sleeping and I reminded her to be quiet as to not wake him. Moments later she tripped over something on the floor and crashed. She stared at my stern face and immediately burst into tears. I didn’t share the gift of compassion for her tears.
In my defense, I had warned her twice to be less bouncy and to lower the sound level. My teacher background and my view of firm parenting did not take kindly to my ignored directive. My first thought was, Well, little one, you got what you deserved. Thankfully, I didn’t voice those unkind words aloud.
Ouch! Grandmothers are supposed to be kind and indulgent, aren’t they?
My friend Carolyn is one of the kindest people I know. She helps neighbors in need, calls and visits shut-ins, and provides transportation to church for folks needing a ride. And . . . she does it all with a smile and cheerful disposition.
The LORD is good to all. He has compassion on all he has made. (Psalm 145:9)
My friend is good to all. She’s a wonderful role model for me and others.
In A Place at His Table: God’s Daily Gifts to Satisfy Your Heart, Jeannie Waters shares the story of King David’s compassion toward Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan (David’s friend) and grandson of King Saul. David could have mistreated Mephibosheth in retaliation for King Saul’s attempts to murder David. But instead, David took the crippled grandson into the castle and cared for him.
Our world needs more compassion
Jeannie shares a “modern” example of compassion as she describes how a member of her community intervened to provide a meal and fellowship with a homeless person. In a respectful and loving manner, this compassionate Christian invited the man to share his table in a restaurant, purchased him a meal, and provided directions to a shelter where the man could stay.
Image by Mircea Iancu from Pixabay
How can we share the gift of compassion on a daily basis?
- Pray for the opportunity to serve others.
- Share a smile whenever possible
- Be an observer. Watch for where the needs are. Seek ways to help.
- Look for volunteer opportunities within organizations in your community.
- Encourage others by your example. Be a role model.
A grandmother’s love
Lest you believe I’m a heartless grandmother, I’m usually right in my analysis of when one of my little ones is crying as part of a dramatic presentation. Our children quickly learn strategies to keep themselves out of trouble. But I’m thankful and blessed for the opportunity to be part of their lives and to help guide them toward becoming respectful, kind, and compassionate adults.
However, I appreciate prayers for patience and discernment. Parents, grandparents, caregivers, and teachers need our prayers to be good role models for our children.
Our best role model is our loving Father and Savior who demonstrate compassion for us on a daily basis. The traits of mercy, grace, and forgiveness bestowed on God’s children show how much we are loved.
“Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,” says the LORD, who has compassion on you. (Isaiah 54:10).
In this world of increasing demonstrations of anger, frustration, and disrespect, can you share additional ways to show our love and compassion to others? I welcome your thoughts.
Sometimes life stretches us in our efforts to share the gift of compassion. Thank you for your honest look at that reality, Katherine. Blessings.
Life can be challenging, whether we’re the one needing the gift of compassion or are being called to share with others. I’m so thanking we have the loving compassion of our Lord to guide us. Thank you, Diana.
Compassion is an often missing ingredient in our world today. Thanks for sharing these examples we can follow in our daily lives to meet the needs of someone around us. Jeannie’s book is full of inspiring stories as you pointed out. Have a wonderful day, Katherine!
I’ve been so blessed by Jeannie’s book as I re-read her inspiring messages. Yes–you are right Barbara, our world desperately needs the gifts of love and compassion. And we, as Christians, are called to be the example of His love and compassion to others. Thank you for being a wonderful role model for us.
I love when our grandkids show compassion to each other and to others. We can learn a lot from the young ones. Patience and compassion are two things that we all need. 🙂 Have a blessed week!
Melissa, I learn from my grandchildren each day I am with them. Aren’t we blessed? Thanks for your good wishes and may God bless you and your family in His service.
Thanks for the insight, Katherine. I have another grandchild coming, and I can envision the exact scenario you dealt with!
Another grandchild! What a blessing, Priscilla. Mine are such a joy–and they teach me lessons on a daily basis.
Grandparenting, like parenting and teaching, is a delicate balance between compassion and sternness. I’m grateful to the Lord that He hits the exact balance with grace and mercy and help through our consequences when we miss the mark. Thanks, and God bless!
We are so blessed to have our Lord’s example of love and compassion. Thank you for sharing your insights, Nancy. Wishing you peace, joy, and blessings.
As grandparents, we have a dual responsibility to be there for our children and grandchildren. It takes love, patience, and compassion to train up a child in the way he should go. Thank you, Lord, for having compassion on all of us.
We could show compassion and respect by listening to others, even when we might not see eye to eye.
Thank you for your post, Katherine! I am grateful for God’s compassion and steadfast heart.
Compassion is sometimes hard to come by in our harsh world. On the other hand the lack of taking responsibility for and blaming others when things go wrong is a problem as well. Prayerfully discerning is important in assessing situations.
Setting a Christ-like example to young ones and to anyone who might be observing is a way to share compassion.
Thank you for bringing attention to this needed attribute.
I agree, Connie, that compassion is becoming more rare in the world of conflict and turmoil in which we live. I think you are right on target when you point out that pointing fingers and placing blame on others instead of taking responsibility for mistakes is becoming more frequent. I pray, as Christians, we can become role models for demonstrating compassion and responsible behaviors. Thank you for sharing your wisdom and insights. Wishing you joy and blessings.
Thanks for this. Sometimes it is a feat to find the right balance between the loving, doting grandparent and the guiding, wisdom-instilling one. As long as we let compassion lead, won’t go wrong.
Thank you for your encouraging response, Candyce. As parents, we learn as we go, and I guess being a grandparent is much the same. I’m grateful that our loving Father is our role model and guide for teaching and guiding our children and grandchildren, and we have Jesus as our example for being loving and compassionate to others. Peace and blessings!
Thank you Katherine. I loved your message (and the things we learn from our grandkids. We do need to follow Christ and learn to be more compassionate towards one another.
I agree, Yvonne, we do need to to become more compassionate. We have the example of Jesus. I pray that we can. Thank you for your example (you are a wonderful role model) and for your encouragement.