Compassion...

At church today the pastor spoke about Compassion… how it is a response to the cries of real needs… how being compassionate is not comfortable, but is necessary… how compassion is an expression of Love for others, even when loving is hard…

I met a little friend in need this week… a little wild turtle...

I had seen him on an asphalt path, looking dead (head half out of shell & very still)… I didn't want him getting crushed so I decided to move him off the pathway, I also wanted to see if he was alive (and yes, he was very much alive)…

I had also noticed there was something on his back that looked like a dropping of some sort… so after he was in the grass I tried to gently push it off with a twig… and he Hissed at me - very loudly!!  Later I discovered that this is a growth - I suspected it when he hissed, but when I looked at the above picture full sized (double click on the picture) I could tell by the coloration & texture that it was some sort of growth (my heart is sad for him).

He ran away from me (yes ran - he was fast for a little guy) toward a swampy area, and I said a little prayer for God to protect his young fragile life.

I got thinking a bit about this turtle… It was easy to be compassionate toward him even though he hissed at me because I knew I probably hurt & scared him… What's amazing is how difficult it can be to be compassionate toward people that "hiss" at us, and I wonder if they're not going through the same thing, I wonder if they're not hurt & scared as well.  It made me pause, this little turtle that delighted me (he's so cute & colorful) and moved my heart has lessons to teach me about people, I need to be aware that when they are cruel to me there may be reasons for their behavior…

God help me to see people through your eyes so that I can be compassionate despite their attitudes, actions, behavior…