Roaming Tennessee Girl

Compassion or Agenda

i would not say i am the most compassionate person in the world. I love people especially those i have a relationship with. i love to hear their stories and reveal in their presence. i hurt when they hurt because i don't like to see those i love and care for in pain. i cry at sappy movies or dopey card commercials. hallmark gets me every time. i tear up when i see a newborn baby (but not a dog-sorry never gonna be an animal lover:) However that is the limit of things that make me get emotional. I don't have compassion for things i am not connected to or aren't a media example of a imperfect world.

When i hear a prayer request or see a sad heart wrenching moment on the news, i take a second and go how sad. Then i move on. i would like to say that i spend time feeling empathy or pain for those people or situations but i don't. i keep my distance. i never can relate it to my life.

one of the greatest characteristics of Jesus was his compassion for people. there are numerous times recorded in scripture where Christ's heart goes out to the people or the situation. but he doesn't pause and go aww too bad and move on. he goes up to that person and touches them. He gets closer to those people in pain. It wasn't part of his agenda it was just who he was.

what about me? am i compassionate about the people I want to serve? or do i just consider them part of my daily checklist? you guys all know that i desperately want to be able to go back overseas and serve. but do i have true compassion for the people in France or are they part of my agenda? are they a means to end for me? being a missionary means i go back to France. Is that my motivation or do i truly have compassion for the French people? i don't ever want my own personal agenda affect who i have compassion for. I want to emulate Christ's compassion for people in everything i do. I should start doing that at home. if i can have compassion for the people i see daily than it is sincere. maybe over time i will become an authentic compassionate person.

posted by deanna @ 6:52 PM