The Beautiful, Hard Road

"God's love for us is bound in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is not bound in whether or not in life we suffer."
-Pastor Matt Chandler

Compassion?

I believe my problem is not so much that I lack compassion. It is that my compassion is weak. Very weak.
For how can it be considered strong if it does not move me to radical action, or, for that matter, change my definition of radical?

C.S. Lewis:

"I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen. Not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else."

Has it been one of those days...
You know the kind.
You stay up too late. Sleep too late.
Botch the single most important word while giving your presentation and the teacher does that funny bubble thing with his cheeks while he futilely attempts not to laugh at you... Yeah, That wasn't obvious...
After you arrive for a class, you realized an hour later that the teacher is definitely Not coming.
You've got two huge tests, work, and paper's to write.

Somewhere in the midst of it all, you are still for a millisecond and God graciously reminds you He is the one in control.

After that it's a little easier to keep yourself (i,e, anger, frustration, outright hatred, and that unbelievably strong impulse to hit electronics when they quit working-again!) under control.

"Oh, Happiness! There's grace
Enough for us and the whole human race!"

My Future

He said, "I will forget the dying faces;
The empty places—
They shall be filled again;
O voices mourning deep within me, cease."
Vain, vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in forgetting lieth peace.

He said, "I will crowd action upon action,
The strife of faction
Shall stir my spirit to flame;
O tears that drown the fire of manhood, cease."
Vain, vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in endeavour lieth peace.

He said, "I will withdraw me and be quiet,
Why meddle in life's riot?
Shut be my door to pain.
Desire, thou dost befool me, thou shalt cease."
Vain, vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in aloofness lieth peace.

He said, "I will submit; I am defeated;
God hath depleted
My life of its rich gain.
O futile murmurings; why will ye not cease?"
Vain, vain the word; vain, vain:
Not in submission lieth peace.

He said, "I will accept the breaking sorrow
Which God to-morrow
Will to His son explain."
Then did the turmoil deep within him cease.
Not vain the word, not vain;
For in acceptance lieth peace.

Amy Carmichael