Compassion

My little girl has a heart of compassion.

Not always demonstrated towards her brother, but it really kicks in when she sees someone or something hurting.

The above picture was taken a couple weeks ago.

Ellie found some baby birds that had fallen from a nest in one of our trees.

She attempted to rescue them.

By herself.

She didn't ask us or notify us before swooping down to pick them up from the ground where they lay, helpless.

Her heart was in the right place, but her mission needed some input.

By the time we found out, and tried to intervene with counsel such as, "Don't touch them, they're too fragile," or "The mother bird won't take them back if they smell like you've handled them," it was too late.

The damage had been done. Despite our best efforts, the little hatchlings only survived about a day.

Ellie was heartbroken.



I thought of how much more our Father is moved when one of His children is hurting.

Jesus was moved with compassion. Moved to act on behalf of the stricken, the needy, the poor, the lame, and the sin sick.

And I thought of His wisdom in acting on His compassion. Always just, always true.

And then I thought: sometimes, in order to act on our compassion, we should really seek out the counsel of those who have been successful in their endeavors to aid the needy.

Alone, we can only go so far.

Together, we are an unstoppable army.