What have we discovered about compassion in the last five years? I started writing these columns in March 2007, partially in response to our Pastor’s “Year of Discovery” when he urged us to make use of our talents. We addressed two situations: First, you are suffering, and you want to get better. Second, you want [...]
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Do cards, letters, and the written word help in times when we are down? Some examples follow that we received as my wife, Pearl, goes through Round 3 of cancer. “You are a fighter, a survivor, a woman of faith, and strength. You are a tough opponent for any challenge. Even the big ‘C’ is [...]
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My words to our closest friends upon first learning my wife, Pearl, probably had cancer were: “This will be Round 3 of this insidious disease for us. We know God has a plan for us, but we certainly do not know what it is. We also know He is in control, and we solicit your [...]
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We were at a celebration in Stephi’s home on the afternoon of the one-half marathon. Stephi said she first read about the marathon about one year earlier. One thing that got her attention was that it was scheduled on the day of her birthday. She was not an accomplished runner, but she thought it would [...]
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What is our reaction when life turns really bad? Some of us get angry. We blame others. We ask: Why me? We rationalize—if only we had done something different, this would not have happened. Some of us clam up, and we do not tell our support group. Usually, we pray; asking fervently. Others never emerge [...]
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I have been recently touched by some with tragic problems: My nephew, who committed suicide after leading a troubled life. He had put himself into a mental box, and he decided on only one way out. Another who is destroying his life, his marriage, and his relationship with his children due to alcohol. His family [...]
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I have a friend that has Stage IV cancer. Stage IV is not curable; it can be treated. Her life has turned overnight from normalcy to one of fears and doubt. Fill in the blank ______ for what we may experience as one of life’s troubles. It may be a major health issue, an economic [...]
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What is compassion most like? Let’s try a different thought: Compassion equals service. You cannot be there for someone that needs your touch without being of service to them. Max Lucado reminds us that long before the church had pulpits and baptisteries, the church had kitchens and dinner tables. The primary gathering place of the [...]
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The nurse asked an elderly gentleman, who obviously was in a hurry, if he had another appointment. He said he needed to go to a nursing home and eat breakfast with his wife. She had Alzheimer’s disease and did not recognize him anymore. The nurse asked, “And you still go, even though she doesn’t know [...]
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“There are only four kinds of people in the world—those who have been caregivers, those who are currently caregivers, those who will be caregivers, those who will need caregiving,” were the remarks of a former first lady when asked about compassion. A hurting person goes through a series of low valleys and high peaks. The [...]
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