A while ago, a wonderful friend and mentor reminded me of the importance of caring about others and looking beyond the surface. It is summed up in a great quote from Plato, "Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle."
Life is not always sunshine and flowers. Some days are hard, others may be even harder. As we interact with others, they may not be comfortable sharing their stress, sorrow, heartaches, etc. with us. Depending on circumstances, our initial impression may be a negative one and we may rush to judgement about that person. Next time you are in that situation, slow down for a minute and stop to consider... The angry, cold, impatient (feel free to fill in the blank) person that you see may: have a loved one diagnosed with a life altering medical condition, find themselves being abused by someone that promised to love and cherish them, have lost their job (or home, spouse, child, parent, you name it), whatever the circumstance are that make getting through the day nearly impossible.
It's easy to pray for someone we know and care about. But, I believe God challenges us to pray and reach out past our comfort zone as well. Compassion is something we can all practice. I'm often guilty of that knee-jerk reaction to someone else's "rudeness," without considering that they may have more on their plate than they can possibly handle. My challenge is to respond in kindness instead of "in-kind." Maybe I can ease someone's burden just a little bit by showing them that someone cares. Will you join me in this challenge?
Several people I know are dealing with some major life stress right now. Because I respect their privacy, I can only ask that you include them in your prayers in a generic manner. God will know who they are!
On a more upbeat note, one of my co-workers brought her 4 day old baby boy (and 2 proud older sisters) to visit us today. Holding this little one was so sweet! I am looking forward to the day when Mark and I are able to hold our precious child for the first time. What a wonderful gift that will be!
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