Compassion

Last Friday, after the deadline passed for signing up to host an orphan from Latvia, a friend of mine and I were discussing how saddened we were to see that many Latvian orphans had not been hosted.  Their time had run out.  We expected that their faces would soon be dropped from the New Horizons site, forgotten by most people who had glanced at their photos in the past weeks.  And yet we could not get them off our minds.  To be honest, it really ached my heart over the weekend.

One of the things my friend and I discussed was the definition of compassion.  She sent me something that she had written a couple of weeks ago, and in it she defined compassion as she sees it.  Her definition struck me:

We often feel sorry for numerous people, but what does it mean to “take pity or have compassion”. I believe it means that for an instant we can put ourselves in that person's shoes, feel their pain and loneliness, own it, and make it a part of our soul. That is very different than being sad about something; it takes exchanging a bit of our soul for theirs. 

When we hear of orphans that need families (and I seem to get info almost weekly about more orphans), it is very easy to take a quick look at them, say a quick prayer and hit delete on the screen, delete in our minds...and then go on with our own lives.  It's quite easy to see the wounded man on the ground and walk to the other side of the street like the priest and Levite did.

But do we dare stop, truly see the children, look into their eyes, dip even our big toe into the waters of pain that they live in and let it rip our hearts?  Do we make them part of our heart and soul?

Because when they become a part of us, WE WILL MOVE FORWARD INTO THEIR LIVES.  We will begin to plead in prayer on their behalf.  We will fast for a day so that we can intercede in prayer for them.  We will give up our money to help fund their adoption.  We will begin to say, "God, I'm open to your plan for my life.  I'm open to be used by You for WHATEVER You want.  Do you want me to be the one to step forward for this fatherless child?  Here I am...send me."

Or do we walk to the other side of the street, distancing ourselves from the mess, from anything that might in the least bit intrude upon our familiar routines and comfortable lives?  Are we quick to assume, "God hasn't called me"?

It starts with CHOOSING to SEE them...to really see them through God's eyes of compassion...and in letting our hands and feet move to action, regardless of the inconvenience.

*** NEW HORIZONS HAS EXTENDED THEIR DEADLINE FOR SIGNING UP TO HOST LATVIAN ORPHANS UNTIL MAY 11, 2012.  THE DEADLINE FOR SIGNING UP TO HOST UKRAINIAN CHILDREN IS MAY 14, 2012.  PLEASE SIGN UP TO VIEW THE PHOTO LISTING AND TO READ ABOUT THE CHILDREN***