Compassion - a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

That is from Dictionary.com and I find it amazing that different ads fill in the browser window according to what type of word you type in to search the meaning on. Compassion - lots of ads on the screen that goes with the word. World vision - End Hunger - adoption are a few examples.
Compassion to me means to have the ability to feel another persons feelings, pain, and struggles. Not everyone has a good amount of compassion for people. I think its a spiritual gift for those who have great compassion for others. Jesus had great compassion for people. He gives us countless examples throughout the Bible.

When we are struggling or going through a difficult season in our lives - Jesus knows exactly where you are. Far too often when we are struggling in that difficult season we continue to ask the question of "Why?"
With the correct perspective our focus in our struggles are not so much asking the question of "Why?" but "Who?"
Why, never answers the questions or helps the situations we are facing but always comes with more questions. Who delivers the final answer and thank God for the WHO!

I remember back to the season when my mom was sick and wondering in my early faith journey - God why? Why does this have to happen? Why now God? Cant you take someone else? You may be wondering those same things today. Why God, are you not healing my mom? Why God, did you let my business fail? Why God, did my husband cheat on me and now divorce is underway? Why God, did my child make that bad decision and she is pregnant now? Why God, did my husband lose his job and now we are broke?
You may have a ton of WHY questions but the same WHO remains the same. Its the answer to the WHY questions.

I have often heard from others when talking about a difficult situation in our lives and they say - "Just have more faith!"

What does that mean? I mean like, God if I had more faith you would have let my mom live? If I had more faith my daughter wouldnt have made the choice to have sex? If I had more faith, my son would still be in school? If I had more faith, my husband wouldn't have lost his job? I think this sets us up for a major spiritual failure.

My Aunt Sharon and my Uncle Buster are the most amazing people of faith that I know of. They have endured so much as followers of Christ in their lives and their journey is a true testament to what it means to "Live by Faith". I fully believe there was no amount more of faith in their hearts that would have changed my mom from passing. They are the most godly people I know and sucking it up a notch in the faith department? What does that mean?
My moms birth, her living, her death had a purpose. The loss of your mom or dad had a purpose. The loss of your husbands job has a purpose. The pregnancy has a purpose.
Keeping your faith eyes and heart on Jesus during these times does something to and in us that no other season of time can accomplish.
Its about the ultimate result in these seasons. Its not that the situation will end well and the way you have hoped for but its about God bringing the good out of it that really makes the impact in our lives.
I am reminded of this today because God has great compassion for us - Romans 8:28 - Meanwhile, in the moment we get tired in the waiting, Gods Spirit is right alongside helping us along. If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter. He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans. He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God. That's why we can be so sure that every details in our loves of love for God is worked into something good.

Another translation tells us this way - And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Most people read the above and think that God will make the struggle better, the situation will improve, your husband will get his job back, the divorce wont happen, your mom will recover, your children will make better choices but honestly - thats not what the verse tells us.
It says God is going to work in some really horrible, painful, struggling, difficult, awful situations in your life and he will bring good OUT of it.
This doesn't mean the situation is any less horrible or the blow is going to be any less than it will.
When I lost my mom, I had dozens of people tell me that she is in a better place. You may have said that to someone recently at a funeral. I know a student in my life right now who is struggling at times with the passing of her grandma and I heard those exact words at her grandma's viewing. Though those words are true, she is in a better place today - her grandmother, my mom, the person in your life - its ok to rejoice for them and then move forward but sometimes moving forward is just not happening. Its not yet.
We lost something special, tremendous in our lives and the pain is very real. We can grieve and we should grieve but we also have to take our hope to heaven. In that same way, we need to take that hope to your pregnant daughter, to your husband who lost his job, to the divorce papers, to the business that failed, to the loss of your loved one.

Because of the loss of my mom, I know Jesus today!
Because of the let go at my old church, I am in a much better place today because of it!
Because of the loss of your husbands job, He has a much better job today or has found a new calling and purpose!
Because of the new baby, your life is so much more fulfilling than you ever imagined!
Because of the _________ (you fill in the blank) and if you are not there yet with a result to look back on - there is purpose to the WHY and understanding WHO will provide the rest of your story.

Jesus has compassion on us.
Matthew 14:14 - When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them and healed their sick
Matthew 15:32 - Jesus called his disciples to him and said, I have compassion for these people they have already been with me 3 days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.
Matthew 20:24 - Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.

Jesus knows exactly where you are today. He is in your struggles, He is in your loss, He is in your pain..... because he is the WHO in your WHY.

There is purpose in your why today loved ones. Even when we dont have the words to pray our groans in life seem to be screaming out louder than our words - we have Romans 8:28 to lean back on.
Thats why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. Even in your pain, even in your groans, even in your situations, even in your loss. God will make good through those things.
Praise God we have the answer in our lives to WHO?

Compassion brings understanding.... :)

Hope this brings peace to someone today,
Lonnie~