Compassion

…the Lord is very compassionate and merciful (James 5:11 HCB).

She slammed the door. I screamed in agony as I looked at four distinct dents in my fingers. Pain exploded like fireworks on the fourth of July. I had used the back of the open door to support my hand while I took off my boots before coming into the house. My sister didn’t mean to hurt me, didn’t realize my fingers were between the door and the door frame.

My grandparents were living with our family at the time and my mother was on an errand, so Grandma was in charge. When she came to help me, all I wanted was my mama. Grandma certainly had compassion and wanted to help me, but she wasn’t the same as Mama.

Often in our lives we have hurts. Like fingers accidentally smashed in a door. Like a headache or backache. Sometimes they are a heartache. Perhaps your spouse said something unkind to you, or someone at work gossiped about you when it wasn’t true. It could be the pain of a child rejecting the truths of the Bible you carefully taught them.

Even more painful, the death of a loved one.

When Jesus was on earth two thousand years ago, he often showed compassion. It says in Matthew, “When He saw the crowd, He felt compassion for them, because they were weary and worn out, like sheep without a shepherd” (9:36). Many times there are stories of Jesus healing every disease and sickness among the people. Huge crowds followed Him.

When I was suffering the intense pain of my smashed fingers, I only wanted my mother—in spite of my grandmother’s desire to help.

Sometimes we’re all alone and we rock ourselves in misery, and strain, when if we would only remember that Jesus does care about our aches, both physical and mental and has compassion on us. More than our earthly mothers ever could.

“Lord, I read about Your compassion and am filled with awe. You understand and are merciful. You love me more than anyone else does here on earth. I want to give my hurts whether they are physical—big things like cancer, but also small things, like a pinched finger. Greater still, when my heart aches from grief and loss. When hurtful words are flung at me. Thank You for Your compassion and love.

In Your holy name, Amen.”

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