"And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.”" Luke 7:13 ESV
As I finished up my morning run at the park yesterday and hopped into my van, I reminded myself that I was on a tight schedule and needed to get in and out of Wal-Mart quickly. It seems the majority of the shoppers at the store also had the same idea as I watched them dart up and down the aisles. Which is why I paused to look twice at an older gentleman who appeared to be taking his time, carefully surveying the chips as if trying to prolong his grocery shopping. As curiosity and a prompting from the Spirit caused me to hesitate further, I realized he was a member of my church and a man whose wife had been in a nursing home for many months. And as a wave of compassion came over me, I approached him to see how he was doing only to learn that his lovely bride of 50 years was now on hospice and simply biding her time until the Lord called her home. And, for him, this shopping trip was a much needed getaway from that reality... if only for a while.
Oh my, I thought, how many times do I, and others, speed through life oblivious to other peoples' hurts? And why aren’t we imitating Jesus? I mean, He was most definitely a busy man trying to accomplish much in a short amount of time and, yet, always took the time to show love. As a matter of fact, the Bible tells us that when Jesus approached the town gate of a town called Nain, He saw a weeping widow who was on her way to bury her only son, "And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her..." So much compassion, in fact, that He stopped what He was doing to speak the words that raised her son from the dead. He loved the woman that much.
And you know, while Christmas is supposed to be the most wonderful time of the year, for many people it is not. Knowing that, may you and I take the time to show true concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others. May we slow down a little, look around a lot, and be sensitive to the Spirits' prompting that we might help to make this season a little brighter for someone in need of a compassionate word or touch. May we love others that much.
Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder that, for many, Christmas is a reminder of loved ones lost or other tragedies. Help us to be sensitive to others feelings this time of year that we might show them the love of Christ and, in some small way, ease their suffering and lead them to You. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen.
Happy Running!!!
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