Compassion,

Well I've been learning about compassion a lot lately, well the lack of it in my life mainly. I'm dating this girl right now and we were talking about ways in which we complement one another. Her answer was something to the effect that I'm more on the blunt side and she's more understanding of where people are coming from. There is a time for bluntness, but not at the expense of the needs of the person I'm talking with. Kala, my girlfriend, is a compassionate girl, she rejoices with those who rejoice and she weeps with those who weep. I believe I can rejoice with those who rejoice, but the weeping with those who weep, well that's another story.

I believe that my problem is that I'm more concerned with what I think the person needs as opposed to seeking them out and learning what they need with wisdom and understanding, you know love them. I would do whatever I do in the name of loving them, but when it's not what they need how loving am I really being. If I go up to someone and they're going through some kind of issue how am I going to be able to serve them if I pay no attention to what they need and give them what I think they need. My whole life is that, I'm freely giving to all, but I'm freely giving them what I think they need. Instead I should be going through life really listening to whatever it is that people are saying to me. Then from what they tell me or I observe I give them what God has enabled me through His wisdom and the Holy Spirit to give them. I mean seriously how often does someone really need to hear the words, "Get over it," which is my normal tendency. I know that if we went through life really listening to others we'd be more than equipped to serve them to whatever capacity that they'd need to be served. Whether or not we serve them, well that's a whole other entry to this blog. I have noticed over the years about how much more compassionate I am, the more I grow closer to Christ the more compassionate I am. I know that now that I recognize this deficiency in my life I can seek more ways to be as compassionate as Christ, who died and gave Himself up for me.