It irritates me ever so slightly when people come up to me
and ask, “What happened to him? Is there
something I can do to help?” They are referring to Malachi. They see all of the tubes, his ventilator and
his wheelchair- it’s a lot to take in, I suppose…. I want to shield his heart –
and mine too. I want to protect him from
what I perceive as misunderstanding, pity or judgment. And I sometimes feel
like I have to make everything okay for the curious stranger. So, I stand on
guard by his side with a fixed smile upon my face and a frown upon my brow
WILLING them to see that Malachi is a beautiful blessing and not a burden;
WILLING them to stand in Malachi’s shoes; WILLING them to walk away in awe,
instead of sorrow…..
“Blessed be the God and
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort,
who comforts us all in our tribulations that we may be able to comfort those
who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted
by God.” 2 Corinthians 1: 3-4
The word of God calls for the believers to be a compassionate
people. “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” Galatians 6:2 That means more than simply feeling
empathetic to someone’s suffering or hardship, but more importantly, being
motivated to help them. The compulsion
to help comes from the heart, not the mind.
If we believe that God is at the center of the heart, then we are open
to accept another person’s intent as heart-felt, genuine, care and
concern. Perception is not fact; it’s
based on thought or intuition. What we
often perceive as pity or judgment is our own fear of what others may think; we
project that fear unto others. Compassion, on the other hand, is a gift sewn
into the heart of man by God, modeled by Jesus Christ and summoned by the Holy
Spirit.
PRAYER OF
RESTORATION: Search me, O Lord and if you find
anything not resembling you, cast it out
of my spirit. Mend my heart, O Lord,
that I may receive others’ good intentions as love and kindness. Renew a right spirit in me that your light
may shine in the forefront of my heart forever more. Amen!
