Compassion

In times of great difficulty the learners shall inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves fully equipped for a world that no longer exist. What I am trying to say is always keep learning, never ever conclude that you know enough and what you know is exactly correct. The exploration of thought is what gives us the edge to move ahead.

I tried to understand her feelings but when I finally realized that what I felt was on the surface. It become clear that my short snippets of wisdom compounded the problem not heal it. The art of compassion is a learned heartfelt attribute, I learned. We all have it but seldom exercise it. Compassion is what you feel when something or someone suffers. That suffering may be as simple as finding a lost kitten or hearing about someone losing a home to a storm. That compassion even though sincere is short lived. We are wired to move on.

This leads me to wonder how you truly feel the pain of others. I bet everyone reading this can relate to conversations to where people complain about what they call government handouts. You might not complain so much if you were the person receiving the help. We lose compassion when we place the truly needed into the same compartment as the few that abuse the system. If we could literally walk the walk with the people suffering, truly feel what they feel, live in their environment, make life and death decisions based on the last dollar you have, then you might be able to feel the power of compassionate love. Let's be careful to condemn that which we do not fully understand. Do not allow the judgement of others to cloud that warmth that wells up in your heart when you feel someone is in need. Reach out and believe me two people will be helped. You will like the feeling of genuinely reaching out.

Over the last five years I have seen compassion at times be cruel. Specifically I have seen people in dire straights with sickness and a friend come to visit which brightens their day. The friend offers a hand with the promise of standing by them through the healing process, only to get so busy as to not follow through. That leads the sick person into a depression and sadness which often brings about lose hope. If you can't finish what you start then do not start at all. Building the hopes of others only to walk away is a form of bullying and if you read the news you can write the rest of that story yourself.

For the sake of space I am simplifying this but you get the message. We all have compassionate hearts, we all desire to help, sometimes we just do not realize that our attempt to help may hurt. It is not advice, or I told you so wisdom, it is real, to the core love and genuine caring that people down in their luck need. Our generation is notorious for jumping to conclusions as to why a person is suffering. We are quick to judge without the facts. We live in our comfort and have little invested in helping those around us. We prefer to waste time analyzing the why while the people suffering sink deeper and deeper.

A better example that might make more sense. Regardless what it may look like only you know what you can afford. The person that gives till it hurts is probably the person that has the least. The person that has the means to help but offers a token penance to relieve themselves of the annoying situation has no heart for the suffering of others. Again before you cast a stone at me just think about what I am saying. Do you honestly know someone that cannot pay their utility bill or buy groceries? The answer is yes you do. The deeper answer and the sad thing is you do not know who they are. WHY? Because we are too caught up in the comfort of our own lives and do not want to be bothered with the trouble of others. We say we do, but do we really. REALLY?

Jesus had compassion. He not only had compassion he modeled it to everyone that came near him. His walk on the earth was that of a poor laboring carpenter. He had words for the rich that would not help others. He was compassionate yet stern with the so called religious. Jesus expressed love in ways that should be simple yet they are so difficult because we are too consumed with what we have. Remember the rich man that confronted Jesus. He was instructed to give his possessions to the poor and follow him. The rich man left sad and depressed for he had accumulated to much to depart with it.

Are you committed to compassion, love, forgiveness, and genuinely making the world around you better. OR are you more committed to judging others for where they are in life while defending where you are. Honest love and compassion can stimulate more healing than medicine ever will. We were created to love yet we were warned time and time again in scripture that the devil would place greed in our hearts. Seek to find the real wealth that resides in you. Become learners of life and share your hearts with others.

This is not difficult it is simply love. I recall in Og Mandino's best seller "The Greatest Salesman in the World" that the way to amass wealth is to help others have happy, healthy, prosperous lives too. Give till it hurts and the return on your investment will cause your cup to overflow with joy.

peace to you
Dale