Our Lord’s compassion is never ceasing, and His Love never failing. For this we ought to be grateful, for we each desperately need both! In moments when we see the suffering of others, what we ought to do is fall on our knees because we know that the same compassion and love that God pours out in those moments of desperate need, is the exact compassion and love He pours out on those who fall before Him–It is poured out in forgiveness.

Today another major quake struck, this time in Chili.  We are once again reminded that we are not able to control the world we live in.  That it is filled with all sorts of things that cause people to suffer, with no warning at all.  That the world is, at best, a chaotic place to live.  In all of the chaos, already planned tonight was Compassion International’s benefit concert for Haiti, just over a month after the Haiti quake, and what turns out to be the night of the Chili quake.  Compassion, exactly what God exhibits to us.

More then exhibit actually, but pours out.  Right now, in the moment when we see others suffering, we need to remember that each day God is pouring out on us all a compassion so rich with grace, a compassion so rich with love, a compassion so rich with mercy to each who have fallen on our knees before Him and said to Him “I deserve no less then to suffer for my sin, but forgive me! Thank you for sending Christ, thank you Christ for having so much compassion for me that you died-that you suffered for me.”  Compassion-so much of it poured out on us all that when we see God exhibit His compassion on others we ought to want to cry out to Him in thanksgiving and praise for giving any of the same for us.

Each time God shows compassion in any form on mankind, I cannot help but be reminded of the fact that it is that compassion poured out upon me that allows me to call Him my Lord.  That allows me to call myself forgiven.  Can you call Him that, can you call yourself that?  If not, now, right now, He has that compassion pouring out to you.  You need only believe He will forgive you, ask Him for forgiveness, thanking Christ for suffering in your place, and thanking Him for the compassion He is pouring out.

Written Sunday December 14th 2008

Wronged, hurt, crying.  More then just a surface blow.  Something that rocked me, makes me question why I trusted.  Then no apology.  Forgiveness does not depend on an apology, though I want one and wait for one.  That is something I have been doing the past several days.

Years ago God taught me how to forgive when no apology was given or ever likely to come.  It was a hard lesson to learn.  So what makes this time different?  The previous lessons dealt with past hurts and non believers.  Now I need to apply that same lesson to a new deep hurt that was put there by a believer.  Applying that same lesson becomes difficult because somehow I expect more from another believer. I forget that just like I can mess up, they can to.  When they do just because they won’t apologize does not mean I am not obligated to forgive them.  If the apology never comes some of the hurt may always sit there, waiting to heal, but forgiveness does not depend on that.

If I do not apply the lesson God taught me years ago to this situation now, I will be creating a new mud puddle in my life.  The hurt will only be bigger if I refuse to forgive waiting on an apology that may never come.   Waiting on another person to apologize is foolishness when we know forgiving them will help the Son heal the hurt.  I need to allow the Son to heal this new mud puddle in order to move on–apology or not.  So forgive is what I do.