Category: compassion

Devotional

by worrylessjourney, posted in compassion, decisions, give, gratitude

March 25 2025

Psalm 44 Verses 20-21

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God have discovered it,
    since he knows the secrets of the heart?

Who or what is our God? Do we worship money?….or things? What is really important to us.? Someone once told me that you cna tell where our priorities lie by looking at our checkbooks or bank records. What is the first thing we decide to pay each month? Will it help others? We give lip service to our God but where our money goes tells a different story.

Do we really think that God doesn’t know our hearts. God can see all our fears and desires and greed. Yet he still loves us.

We need to put our abundance where Jesus has shown us.

Prayer: Lord of our hearts, you know all our secrets. You know all of our problems. We want to please you yet our fear of being without or not keeping up with oue neighbors gets in the way. Remove our fear and greed and use our resources to do your work. AMEN

Homework: Look at where your abundance goes. Do one thing extra this month to aid God’s work. Don’t let the amount stop you…remember the widow’s mite.

Devotional

by worrylessjourney, posted in answers, communication, compassion, God

March 16 2025

Psalm 63 verses 1-5

1 You, God, are my God,
    earnestly I seek you;
I thirst for you,
    my whole being longs for you,
in a dry and parched land
    where there is no water.

2 I have seen you in the sanctuary
    and beheld your power and your glory.
3 Because your love is better than life,
    my lips will glorify you.
4 I will praise you as long as I live,
    and in your name I will lift up my hands.
5 I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods;
    with singing lips my mouth will praise you.

Blaise Pascal, a mathematician and physicist, is credited with saying “There is a God-shaped hole in the heart of every man”.  We spend much of our lives trying to fill that hole. We try buying things, getting more money, having face lifts, and anything else we can think of. The problem is nothing works. It should be obvious to us if we look at the lives of some famous people. Many of them have taken drugs to help fill the hole when money and fame didn’t help. So many have died either from drugs or suicide. Obviously we are on the wrong path.

David tells us what fills that hole and how we will feel when that happens. “I will be fully satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.“

Prayer: Caring God how disappointed you must be that we can’t see the path to you. Help us to truly understand that seeking you in our hearts and minds is what is needed. We must spend time with you and listen to your voice. We need your love and compassion on the way. AMEN

Devotional

by worrylessjourney, posted in accountable, arrogance, compassion, love

March 12 2025

Psalm 16 5, 9-11

5 Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
    you make my lot secure.

9 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest secure,
10 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    nor will you let your faithful one see decay.
11 You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

“You make known to me the path of life.” How many times have you showed me the right path. It’s in the Bible. Also your voice speaks in the Christian people around me. But still, I have trouble going the way way or doing the right thing. It’s something we all do. It’s a lot easier to do what we want. Don’t worry about if it’s right or not…just please yourself.

Our culture teaches us to be self sufficient…to be individuals…to make our own decisions. Even our songs agree….remember the one that said “I did it my way?”

It is only when we put God first that our perspective begins to change. Just like being in love and wanting to do everything for the person we love. When God is that person then things change. Suddenly things that seemed OK before are no longer pleasing to us. Pleasing God give us pleasure.

The wonderful thing is that God will not abandon us no matter which path we choose.

Prayer: O God, thank you for loving us and showing us you love over and over. Teach us that when loving you first everything else will fall into place. AMEN

Devotional

by worrylessjourney, posted in comfort, compassion, help

March 9 2025

Psalm 4 verses 6-8 Many are saying, “Oh that we might see better times!” Lift up the the light of your countenance upon us, O Lord. You have put gladness in my heart, more than when grain and wine and oil increase. I lie down in peace; at once I fall asleep; for only you, Lord, make me dwell in safety.

“Oh that we might see better times!” This really hits home right now. The world is a precarious place. War continues in parts of the world…the stock market is falling… crime is ever present…people have been laid off and jobs are scarce. Things are not any better than when the psalmist wrote. There is good news though. God is here and cares about us and the psalmist is sure of it. In spite of all the problems we can lie down and sleep knowing that all will be well.

God cares. Put your trust in God and “Dwell in safety.”

Prayer: Thank you for hearing me when I call O Lord. Help me to know that you are my safe place in an unsafe world. Let me walk each day in the light of your countenance and sleep at night in safety. AMEN

Devotionals for Lent

by worrylessjourney, posted in compassion, faith, forgiveness, God

I will be posting a daily devotional during Lent based on the Psalms

Ash Wednesday March 5 2025.

Psalm 51 : 1

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions.

We begin Lent with this Psalm. In the Ash Wednesday liturgy it is called Miserere Mei, Deus. I have always looked at that as misery, ignoring the Latin and just looking at the words. The Psalm is so bleak…begging God for mercy and forgiveness but this is how we begin Lent….in a posture of penitence. We tend to feel that all of Lent is like this and we need to spend the whole time on our knees. It wouldn’t hurt us if we did but Lent is more than that. It is a time for reflection and taking time to review of our being. It is also a time to know that God is a God of compassion and forgiveness.

Prayer: Loving God, forgive us when we see you just as a God of judgement and not as a God of compassion. Help us to rest in your loving-kindness and love. AMEN

Discernment = balance

by worrylessjourney, posted in compassion, Discernment, understanding

Compassion is the sometimes fatal capacity for feeling what it’s like to live inside somebody else’s skin. Frederick Buechner in “Wishful Thinking.”

Compassion is a wonderful thing. It helps us to be kind to others. It is a gift. To be able to understand what someone else is going through on a deep level can be enlightening.

There is also another side to compassion. One can feel the pain so deeply that they are too involved. We have to have the ability to know that although we understand we are not that person. Sometimes people who feel other’s pain very deeply are called “empaths.” Empaths often have trouble removing themselves from the situation. They become so involved that it may not help the other person and can be harmful to them. That is why Buechner calls it a “sometimes fatal capacity.”

This is one of those things for which we have to find balance. Compassion is needed for us to be loving people. But we do have to be able to discriminate between what is enough and what is too much? It can be a tricky thing to do.

Children must be taught

by worrylessjourney, posted in accountable, children, compassion, values

An old man said: I never wanted work that was useful to me but loss to my brother. For I have this expectation, that what helps my brother is fruitful for me. From Desert Father in Desert Wisdom translated by Yushi Nomura

How often we spare no time for what our desires do to others. We think nothing of climbing over someone to get a better job. Students cheat in class to get the best grades—-hurting themselves and the other students. And in today’s scene people aren’t wearing masks because is it annoying to them…taking chances with someone else’s life. So many think only of themselves. We live in a “me first” world.

We have to turn things around and teach values to our children…values that respect others and understand that our choices can hurt others. We have to train up compassionate and loving people.

What life do you wish for?

by worrylessjourney, posted in appreciate, balance, compassion, giving, little things, perspective 
The American Dream is to reach a point in your life where you don't have 
to do anything you don't want to do and 
can do everything that you want to do. Jerry Reinsdorf

People have had bumper stickers that said “whoever dies with the most toys wins.” The focus for a long time has been “me first.” We idolize the rich, the famous and those whose life seems perfect to us. We think “just how I want to live.” The sad truth is that the majority of those who have that life are not living the life we think. So many of them have died of drug overdoses, committed suicide, had multiple divorces and aren’t really happy.

The people who are happy are living a different kind of life. Most of them care more about people than they do money or things. They give freely of themselves and their bounty. It doesn’t matter how much they have they will share even if it leaves them little.

Our vision of how we think we want to live is so very skewed. Wishing always to want things we don’t need, stepping on people to get what we want does not bring joy. Living a life of caring and compassion does.

We must care!

by worrylessjourney, posted in accountable, caring, compassion, connections, help, important, kindness, responsible

Another Doctor visit today. One more step forward. Each one gives me a good feeling. At least we are getting things out of the way.

It is so frustrating to stay here day after day. I know that it is the same for everyone. Those of us who are risk will have to be careful for a good while. I am glad to see that some things are able to open and people will have jobs. To be out of work with lots of bills is a terrible place to be. My heart goes out to them. There are things that we can do to help. I hope you can find ways where you live to show caring. It is the most important thing to respect and have compassion for others. If everyone could do that the world would be a much better place.

caring is contagious

During this crisis we have seen examples of caring and examples of selfishness. I hope the caring wins out.

Help where you can

by worrylessjourney, posted in blessings, community, compassion, connections, empathy, friends, giving, gratitude, help, kindness, share, you matter

I keep a quote book and was looking through it today and found one that I am sure must have been on someone’s blog but I just love it.

If you think you’re too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito. The Dalai Lama

Not only is this very true but I love his sense of humor.

13.375"x19" Poster

Each of us lives a life of importance. Even though we are quarantined and distancing we are needed. It seems that there is not much that we can do to help but that is not true.

Yesterday I ordered groceries from the store and they were delivered by a family…father, mother, two young girls. There were driving a nice car….not expensive but good. Obviously the parents work and no longer have jobs. So many people have been laid off or the place they work is closed. This may be their only way to make money. At least when I order groceries delivered I can give them a generous tip since it all goes to them.

The restaurants near us that are supplying take-out food are having their wait staff deliver it. We can pick it up but the delivery helps someone who has no income at this time. I am spending so much less than usual I can surely space some for those in need.

help people

Admittedly it is small help but it is help. So many people are in dire straits and we have no idea of knowing how this will turn out. If you are one of the blessed and have an income, a place to live, food to eat and safety please do what you can to help those who don’t have anything.