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Sympathy vs Compassion is there a difference? Yes there is……

Laura GraceLeave a comment

Sympathy is not the same thing as compassion. God showed me this years ago.

When Jesus fed the multitudes he was moved with compassion as they had not eaten for three days while listening to him so he said to his disciples “Give them something to eat” Prior to that he was moved with compassion to “teach them” 
Because they were like sheep, not having a shepherd. (They Had a sheep nature!)

They were listening to Jesus and Then HE felt for them. being hungry. He did not say ‘let’s go feed everybody in the world today” …… (I did notice this.)

…..Sympathy is different. Sympathy is not always a good thing. There are those who have given sympathy, and saw that it led to co-dependency, making excuses for someone’s bad behavior, and became a never-ending bottomless pit of helping someone will never help themselves, or even grow.

Some of those people who got burned by the sympathy mongers got burned very severely & learned to not give sympathy but got it mixed up it up with compassion, (a Godly quality) and now when God needs them to have compassion they cannot, for they are afraid they will get burned again.

When you are moved with Compassion by God to do something, you will know. You may find yourself like the disciples “HOW LORD am I supposed to do this? He will show you! You may even have a hard time doing it, and it may not be easy for you, but you will know when God is telling you to do something for Him.

You will know because he convicted you to do a certain thing. What you do is also up to him, not for someone else to decide or dictate. This is how we were made free to serve HIM and Made Free to follow after Him.

Sometimes the things he leads you to do may not be your desires 🙂

Martha and Mary were upset with Jesus for not getting there before Lazarus died, but the plan of God was to raise him from the dead. Are we in with God’s plan? Or our own?

If we sympathize with every sob story that comes along, our resources will be drained (our strength and so on) and we won’t be able to do what God wants us to do when we need to do it.

This is why praying is so important. “order my steps Lord” Help me walk by the Spirit, and show me what’s important today.”

This I do strive to do every day of my life. I don’t believe there are cut and dried recipes or formats on “how to behave” or the “right thing to do” according to some christian book for dummies.

We walk by the Spirit! Jesus did. And we ought to do this also. You will know in your heart when something is him. It may be painful, but in your heart, you will just know. 

Matthew 9:46, Mark 6:34, Matthew 18:27, Matthew 14:14

Laura Grace

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Christmas Story #6 “A viewmaster disaster”

Laura GraceLeave a comment

12 days 5thomas really youngView master

Christmas Story #6 (12 days of stories) ” A Viewmaster Disaster”

(Sigh) It seems I’ve been telling on myself in these stories. That wasn’t the plan! Maybe God’s plan, but not mine! Anyway it was the 90’s, can’t remember what year, and the man of the house lost his job (again). I tried to shelter my children.

They really had no idea the fear, the chaos or the level of fright I was dealing with. I didn’t want them to know. No child should have to know they are in danger of being homeless all the time or having no dinner, or no Christmas present.

So, I prayed and found this viewmaster with Slides for 5.00 at St Vincent and I probably Told my son “God Provided” and made it sound like the thing was “a gift from God.”

YES I was a good mom. I prayed with them daily, I was faithful with all my heart to be a mom, but hey, I was learning myself! and I try as I might I still made mistakes. Blaming God for this gift WAS a mistake. It was almost detrimental to his Faith system.

So Thomas ripped into the view master all excited (From God! It must be special) and when he saw that viewmaster well he was pretty disappointed. okay VERY Disappointed! And, he cried.

Man I felt terrible. Like the worst mom ever!

Others in “housing projects” who often lied about their income, (and I know they did) bought their kids Play Stations and big ticket gifts at Christmas time. Not so with us. It was God provided, or it didn’t happen other than the sweet benevolence of others.

So how does this turn out for Good (Romans 8) you might ask?

For one thing, when I get someone a gift such as recently for the Kids at Browning, I really THINK about what I am getting. will they like it? Will they enjoy it? Or am I passing off my old time ideas of what I THINK They should like?

 I loved my view master as as kid. my son grew up in a totally different generation. I have to say I would not get excited about a tin cup and a penny either (as some did many years ago). I would say thank you, but I wouldn’t be ecstatic or anything! The Little house on the Prairie children were having a different experience when Mr. Edwards Gave them that “tin cup!” God gives perfect gifts in the perfect timing, and in the perfect way. I would have been off saying “I got you a view master” and leave God out of it! There is more than one layer to this presentation by the way………:) 

In My Zeal to lift up Jesus as the King of Christmas, I failed to see I was misrepresenting God. I don’t think he “chose’ to give my son a gift that brought him to tears. Let’s face it poverty is hard on a kid. (it really is) It produces Character, it can be very GOOD for them, but it’s still hard. by the way…….. Many years later (2007?)

I got him ANOTHER viewmaster as a joke gift at Christmas! He was able to laugh over it Good sign! He came out with Character! Oh the Joy of having children with Character! Who Can abase or abound! And that my friends, is a result of prayer, Faith, and God’s Grace.  

Merry Christmas! Stay tuned for more! -Laura Grace

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.”      James 1:17

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Who wrote this book of sympathy? Compassion VS Sympathy

Laura GraceLeave a comment

bunny-hugs

Years ago, When I was studying and in prayer, (asking God to speak to my heart) Matthew 15:32 seemed to jump of the pages to me. In this passage, Jesus was moved with compassion, because the people had been with him, listening to him, for three days and had nothing to eat.

Yes, the very same Jesus who said; “It’s my food” to do the will of my Father in Heaven.” I don’t know why sometimes God “speaks’ or sometimes he points out something or sometimes, He gives us a dream (to interpret).

Maybe He likes being creative? Or maybe he has a deep reason, but whatever the reason, that day, He spoke to me by magnifying this passage to my heart.  THAT ONE REVELATION Revolutionized my thinking! 

I used to ask God, “So how come you gave me miracles of cheese, and other miracles take so much longer?” One word. Compassion. 

So, who wrote this book of rules, I wonder? The one that says “This” deserves sympathy, and “that’ does not? We have people who understand: Maybe that person needs a miracle of the rent paid, a piece of pie, (and coffee) or some cheese to give them hope! God did 3 cheese miracles for me, by the way, it’s in my book. How often I learned, not to tell certain persons of my issues, for they might say “WELL now I know a person who is sick an dying in the hospital” (and try to SHAME me for daring to ask God for some cheese!). 

“Shame on you” Condemnation says, “People are really suffering, somewhere, and here you are whining about your shoelaces being tangled up!” 

SO I did not just learn from what Jesus said, but from what he DID! HE did not feed the whole world that day. He did not go start a soup kitchen. He fed the kids that were following him, listening to him……….and they wouldn’t have starved……

“Lest they faint on the way home” He said, and sometimes, God does miracles so you do not faint in your faith (before you reap a harvest!). 

Human reason can get us into a lot of trouble (with our faith,) you know? it really can. Because if we do not understand God’s heart (behind what he does) we will not understand Him If we don’t understand Him, we will ask amiss. If we ask amiss, we will not receive His miracles. (book of James) 

He fed the people following (and listening to him) that day….

a very big clue (into the heart of God) 

Your partner in the Faith and knowing Jesus, with Love,

Laura Grace