Have a Little Compassion
It was a nightmare. I dreamed I was standing in line, waiting to be served. But I was in the wrong line. The person behind the counter proceeded to berate me for standing in the wrong place and insulted my intelligence. It happened because I misunderstood the instructions and made a mistake.
Then my dream took me to another scene. The person I was with said something to me as they walked away. Their back was to me so I couldn’t hear clearly. I stood in that spot for a long time waiting for them to return. But they never did. As they walked away, they were telling me where to meet them later. But I couldn’t hear, so I missed them.
And then in the next scene, my cell phone rang. I missed the call because I didn’t know how to answer it. I knew I should be able to return the call. But again I couldn’t figure out how to make the phone work. I could not understand the phone and I was so frustrated.
It was just a dream. But in this dream. I was reminded of the many times I had been impatient with other people. The truth is compassion is a virtue that is in short supply.
We should all practice compassion. We don’t know what other people are going through. Consider the waitress who failed to fill your tea glass as quickly as you wanted. Perhaps her mind was on a sick child she had at home. Or the old man whose slow driving holds you up. He may not want to be on the road, but he has no one to take him to the grocery store.
Listen, everyone’s life tells a story. Many of these stories are tragedies. We all need to learn to be understanding. We are all better off than someone else and where they are today, we may be tomorrow. Learn to be kindhearted. Because time is not wasted if it is spent being kind. Learn to show compassion because God has been merciful to you.
“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing. For “He who would love life And see good days, Let him refrain his tongue from evil, And his lips from speaking deceit. Let him turn away from evil and do good; Let him seek peace and pursue it. For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, And His ears are open to their prayers; But the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”
I Peter 3:8-12 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/1pe.3.8-12.NKJV
Douglas & Deborah Huff
From Down Where the Pavement Ends
Email-pavementendsministry@gmail.com
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