The Truth About Compassion

What do you think of when you hear the word compassion? How do you define it? The Latin meaning of the word is "co-suffering" or "to suffer with". That definition makes it more of a verb than a noun--a word that requires action. Compassion comes in many forms and doesn't look the same for every person or in every circumstance. You can show compassion to for a friend by simply offering a shoulder to cry on...sometimes crying with them in that moment. You can show compassion by lifting someone up in prayer and asking for God to act and provide comfort in their life. You can show compassion by jumping in with both feet, running to someone in immediate need rather than away from them--performing CPR during a medical emergency, offering the clothes off your own back to warm them or to stop the bleeding, entering a burning building to find that scared child, or taking a meal to a family that is so overwhelmed with grief that they can't pause to care for their own physical needs. Compassion requires action. But in order to act, we have to let it in. We have to open ourselves up to feeling the very suffering that the other person is experiencing. That's not always easy. For some, it's more intuitive than for others. But we have a way of hardening and protecting ourselves over time. Life is hard and we learn early on that growing a thick skin is the way to get through this life and all its difficulties. But living a thick-skinned life, if you approach people that way, is an empty life. We have no greater example of compassion than Jesus Christ who gave His entire life even to the point of suffering and death, out of compassion for all of us.

We may not be able to personally touch the lives of those suffering in other parts of the world, but we CAN share with them the message of the extreme compassion their Savior has for them. To help that message reach those who haven't yet heard, visit https://www.mygfa.org/makeadifferencenowblog/.

The truth about compassion? It's a verb.

Easter Hope for the Hopeless

Easter has always been my favorite day of the year--even more so than Christmas. I have fond memories of waking up to find an Easter basket filled with goodies hiding in brightly-colored eggs, eating breakfast, and heading off to church in a brand new Easter dress and shoes. Even as a child, hearing the trumpet played to "Jesus Christ is Risen Today" brought me such joy and almost tears. As soon as the song would end, I couldn't wait to do it again the next year! We went to church regularly, but Easter was always a welcome opportunity to hear once again of God's victory over sin and death and of the promise of eternal life in Heaven with Him.

But just imagine for a moment--really imagine--what it would be like to hear about Easter for the FIRST time. Let it sink in. It's hard for most of us to do since we have grown up with this amazing reality from childhood and can't remember not knowing. Try to imagine your life without the hope that He gives us in this life and life eternal. Imagine living without the peace and the joy that gets us through the toughest of life's circumstances. Imagine if you lived in a society that labeled you, from birth, as less than human. Untouchable. Destined to live out your life on earth as the lowest of the low facing discrimination, dehumanization, degradation, and violence every day. Utter hopelessness without Hope. Dalit. A reality for an estimated 250 million people in Asia.

Now imagine that YOU can bring hope to them. Imagine that YOU can share the love and hope of Christ with them, changing their reality today and even their ETERNITY. What is it worth? Could you give up just one dinner out to help support the cause? Eat Easter leftovers instead? Skip that sale at your favorite store because you really don't need anything? Give your weekly Starbucks budget to something with eternal impact?

You can make an Easter gift to those who have yet to hear the Gospel by supporting native missionaries who travel by foot to share the good news. My kingdom goal is 100 bikes for missionaries! Please prayerfully consider what God has financially blessed you to do and make a gift at https://www.mygfa.org/makeadifferencenowblog/. Where would any of us be if post-Easter the Apostles had not given their lives to ensure that generations of people they'd never meet were also saved? I'm not asking you to give your life--just one thing that you don't really need anyway.