Through the Valley: Five-Day Bible Plan With Pamela JohnsonSample

Day Five: The Fruit of Compassion

A dark-haired girl peeked at me shyly as she twisted her body around the door for a better view. I was intently listening to an elderly Christian woman in her mid-80s recalling the terrible hardships that led her family of three generations to care for over 1,000 orphans in Burma (also known as Myanmar). 

Ms Emerald recounted the unending persecution and running in a war-torn country known mostly for its harsh military regime. Her family's Karen heritage put them in danger with the Burmese government. Endowed with wealth by her country's standards, they either lost their possessions through personal sacrifice or by the hands of vicious enemies. Rather than be concerned with their own survival, this remarkable family chose compassion in their suffering and reached out to the most vulnerable.

Unsafe children found a secure haven in the Daw Gyi Daw Nge Orphanage. Some had witnessed the killing of their parents by soldiers, others had suffered abandonment or abuse provoked by poverty. Their guardian wisely knew the success of their future would depend on how they chose to respond to their past. It was easy to become embittered so she pointed them to the wise teachings in Scripture.

The Samaritan in Luke 10:30–35 could have been disillusioned by life's circumstances. He was persecuted by the Jews both for his mixed ethnicity and his impure religion. Though the one least expected to help among the religious Levite and Priest, he identified with the half-dead man on the road and chose charity.

The remarkable result of choosing the fruit of compassion is that it is not only a balm of healing for the hurting heart, but also for the one who bestows it. I heard many grievous stories in the children's home in Burma. One young lady, after explaining her painful past, perked up as she described her special dream. 

‘I love Jesus’, she said brightly, ‘And someday I want to help people and become a nurse!’ I felt relieved, realizing this beautiful and sweet girl was on the right road to her recovery.

Prayer: Dear Father, as you allow me to go through suffering, help me not to become bitter. Produce the fruit of compassion in my heart that becomes a balm of healing for myself and others.

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