Art Slam » Food for the Creative Soul

Compassion literally means to feel with, to suffer with. Everyone is capable of compassion, and yet everyone tends to avoid it because it’s uncomfortable. And the avoidance produces psychic numbing — resistance to experiencing our pain for the world and other beings. ~ Joanna Macy

Something about this quote speaks to me. It is the part about being uncomfortable. Lately I have noticed that people do not like being out of their comfort zones. Doing so means they no longer have their usual safety net or standby routine. It is when you come out of your comfort zone that true growth begins. I have been living outside of mine for a few months now and describing it as uncomfortable does not seem to do it justice. Sometimes, it is downright painful. I feel exposed and vulnerable because I am putting everything on the line. There is no physical shield for me to hide behind, nor do I want to hide. This exposure, this openness, while extremely raw and uncomfortable is where I am growing. It is like being in a valley and while the valley is dark and often times lonely, there is a lesson there. For one, I realize I am not alone. For two, I have learned to truly give my burdens over and not carry the weight of them around. For three, being uncomfortable has taught me to have more compassion.

This week, one of the things I am working on is loving the sinner and not the sin when I interact with people. None of us is perfect. No, not one. This message was driven home in the sermon I listened to at my church Sunday. As was the message that our sins have already been paid for and we are washed clean as snow; all because of Jesus. Now, those of you who frequent my blog know I do not hide my love of the Lord. I have no intentions of starting now. My tribulations this year have proven one thing. That I can not be defeated when I stand strong in my faith. I am reminded of the flexibility of a palm tree. In a storm, the palm tree takes a beating. It bends from side to side, touching the ground as the storm rages around it, but in the end, it does not break. Strength without flexibility is stubbornness. There is no power in being unmovable in thought or feeling for the sake of being right. For some people, it is more important to be right and to judge. That kind of thinking and stubbornness profits no one. So, I pray everyday to be a more compassionate person. To treat people as I desire to be treated. Because this world can use a little more compassion. In fact, it could use a lot more.