Attributes Of CompassionSample

Grace: Seeing the Needs of Others

Grace helps in our every need and is the reason behind every deliverance. It preserves, comforts, encourages, and strengthens us.

Blogger Myquillyn Smith experienced grace in a unique way while visiting Uganda with Compassion International. They met a girl named Grace, a girl whose name describes the family perfectly. Let’s listen as she tells us her story:

Grace’s mom runs out to greet us when we pull up. Isn’t that what we all do when company’s coming? I like her already.

Grace and her mother usher us to their back yard. We listen to a mother tell of seven years of horrors as goats and chickens tried desperately to get our attention.

Mom’s demeanor goes from joyful to somber.

Grace sits still next to her mom and listens as she tells us about how her husband, Grace’s dad was killed, how they were taken captive, freed, and captive again. How rebels cut off her grandmother’s breasts. How people promised to protect them only to chase them away. Not once, but twice.

I can’t help but wonder what I was doing the day Grace’s daddy was killed. What was I fretting over the day her mother held her hands up and surrendered after watching as the men in their family were beaten to death? …

Mom is strong and prays and says she remembered the story of Job during her seven years of wandering, hiding and being held captive.

How can Grace’s mom be strong even after years of torture and abuse? She spoke of Job who continued trusting God even in a time of terrible suffering—he lost all his children, his wealth, and his health. Job recognized that his pain was not permanent. When we suffer and don’t understand why, we can trust that God has a greater plan in place. We can trust God’s grace to help us in our time of need. Grace perseveres.

What is the result? As recipients of God’s grace, we are called to share His grace with others. 1 Peter 4:10 says, “Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.”

We encourage you to read the entirety of Myquillyn Smith’s blog post.