https://odb.org/2023/11/28/the-skill-of-compassion
I always thought of compassion as a quality we must have as a believer. An attribute. We need to be compassionate as God was compassionate to us that despite our weaknesses and inadequacies, He called us to be His own so that His power may be made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Like love and grace, compassion is an aspirational quality to have as a Christian.
“A thorn has entered your foot. That is why you weep at times at night,” wrote Catherine of Sienna in the 14th century. “There are some in this world who can pull it out. The skill that takes they have learned from [God]”. Indeed, it is a skill to deal with the deep hurts of our loved ones and those we are close with. It’s a skill we may develop over time ‘on the job’, but often, our ‘patients’ may also be unwilling to let go of those past hurts and move on in life. Some prefer to cling on to those past hurts and disappointments. Blaming fate, themselves, and their parents for their predicament.
That is why I guess as Catherine of Sienna wrote, we need to learn this skill from God. To take away the thorn that makes some weep in the night, there must be patience and sometimes long suffering to endure an outburst or two or many before the thorn is removed and the wound allowed to heal. At times, time will heal. But mostly, divine healing works best. So we pray and intercede and extend our ears to hear out their grief, a shoulder to cry on like a representative of Christ here on earth. The foundation of which is compassion. That is why it is a skill. It can and needs to be developed. It doesn’t come naturally just because we have accepted Christ. Only Christ can change our cold and lackadaisical hearts, our selfish, self-centred love – to have compassion and love for others around us.
Learn the skill of compassion. It will make a lasting impression in our lives and those we love. Some thorns are just so delicate and sensitive to remove.
Ronnie's Thoughts 