Finding God's Truth In The Storms Of LifeSample

The Gift of Compassion

If anyone has ever had the right to be unhappy, it was Hellen Keller. She was blind and deaf, and her disabilities made her completely unable to experience the world in the way most of us do. Everyone around her had abilities that she lacked. But she had determination, and something even more valuable--compassion.

"Believe, when you are most unhappy, that there is something for you to do in the world," she said. "So long as you can sweeten another's pain, life is not in vain."

In adulthood, Helen spent much of her time visiting hospitals for soldiers who had been blinded or deafened by war. She went to show them hope that they could live productive lives after their injuries. And she encouraged them to not give up on their futures. Her disabilities gave her the chance to help these people facing incredible struggles.

Think about that from Helen's perspective. She could easily have said, "I am deaf and blind, and these men are just blind. I have much bigger problems than they do." She could have chosen to be bitter, angry, or focused on her own struggles. But instead, she chose to use her circumstances to show compassion to those around her.

Letting go of our own "right" to wallow in our pain and choosing to have compassion for others is hard. But when we are suffering, we have a heightened ability to empathize with others.

Instead of comparing problems or judging who has it worse, we can choose to be a blessing.

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the gift of compassion. I know that when I go through storms in my life, I have an increased ability to be compassionate to others. Help me tap into that and use it to bless those around me. Amen.