Today, We Began to Learn Compassion

Glen Boardman

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being likeminded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."   Philippians 2:1-2

The word compassion comes from a compound Latin word that means "to come along side" and "to suffer." Today, we began learning what true compassion looks like. We were able to not only visit the tent homes of many people whose homes were what they call "broken", but we also got to come along side and suffer with them as we visited with their broken hearts.  What sights we saw... what words we heard... what tears we cried... what people we met… and what a privilege to share the love of Jesus with them. 

Hundreds of thousands here live in tents made out of blue tarps that we buy at Walmart for a few bucks.  They have few possessions and many have little to look forward to.  Yet in the midst of it all, Jesus offers hope... hope in the form of Nancy sharing a poignant story of her mother.  Hope from John Lindsey who danced like a crazy fool  with the kids (They all think he looks like Jesus!  One guy said, "No - he looks like Judas!"  Hope from Sue B who prayed for healing of many.  Hope from CeCe and Kyle as they prayed with a 90 year old woman.  Hope from Adelle, Kathy and Nikki who prayed for a 15 year old crippled boy in diapers who weighed all of 40 pounds.  Hope from Tim, Donna, Sarah and Phill who gave out supplies to help rebuild the tent homes of these precious people.  Hope as we had three teenagers ask us to pray with them to accept Jesus as Savior.  This is the real deal.  Hope... not any of our own, but the kind only Jesus can give.  And you know how He shows it?  Through the compassion of His children.  Today, we His children, began to learn what true compassion looks like - to do nothing out of selfish ambition, but in humility to consider others better than ourselves by serving them and looking out for their interests.