Women On The Frontlines: A Call To CompassionSample

God’s Heart of Compassion On a trip to Thailand, I (Michal Ann) found myself sitting in a restaurant in Bangkok. As I looked through the front window, I noticed a young man standing outside. He was holding a sign, and he had several little toys dangling on fine strings all around him. He was deaf and had created these little toys, which were crickets, out of bits of bamboo. He was selling them for a modest price of twenty baht (approximately fifty cents) apiece so he could buy food. Though he was a simple and needy young man, he didn’t look like he was begging. He stood upright, showed no emotion, and was not really trying to sell us anything. He did not have the typical pleading eyes of a beggar, and he did not gesture for our attention. I was impressed by how he stood with an air of quiet self-respect and seeming uprightness of heart. When I bought a cricket from this young man, I gave him my promise to do all I could with my life, to make a difference in his life and in the lives of others like him. In response, he gave me the privilege of touching his life, of making a difference. I caught a glimpse into the heart of God. This young man showed me that you don’t have to be somebody who is important or famous to change lives; you just have to be available. You have to be willing to engage in the journey and walk the path that Jesus walks every day. Do you want more of Jesus? Is your heart engaged with the things that move His heart? Do you want more of the Father’s love deposited in your heart? True compassion and mercy stem from a passion for the Father’s heart. When we learn to truly love mercy and compassion, then out of our passion for God’s heart we will be motivated to act justly. If you have compassion, you will be moved to take action, as Jesus always did and still does. God wants you to know and receive His compassion, and then live and share His compassion with others. You will discover compassion is a deep well that moves heaven on behalf of others.