Philippians is a good book with the instruction on not being anxious and thinking on good things.
This morning, in chapter 1:7-8, it struck me when Paul said this:
"God can testify how I long for all of you
with the affection of Christ Jesus."
WITH the affection of Christ Jesus.
Meaning feeling towards others as Jesus feels towards them.
Loving,
compassionate,
forgiving.
It is no coincidence that I when I read this this morning, I had my neighbor on my mind.
My neighbor who came over last night
with a black eye.
A black eye that she received trying to restrain a little boy that was in a fit.
Her daughter was was babysitting the boy
and called her mom for back up.
She'd come up with a good story on how she got it.
(Never selling out the truth lest it further hurt the family the boy belongs to.)
"Sure. I love him. He was just having a bad day."
Whoa!
Not the reaction I expected.
Or even the one I'd probably have.
My neighbor hasn't been able to leave her house since the incident
because she doesn't want to be
a walking billboard
for the little boy's bad day.
She doesn't want to further harm the family.
(Who feels just terrible about the incident.)
The compassion in her voice
and albeit bruised face
was nothing short of astonishing.
I gave her a big pair of sunglasses to better cover her darkened eye.
I offered to pick some things up at the store.
But what I really wanted to do was unzip her heart
just a teence
and let that compassion
that "affection of Christ Jesus"
ooze out all over me.
I love the compassion illustrated here by your neighbor and by your offer to help her. I think we could all use a bit to ooze out on us.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mindy! So blessed by our neighbors.
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