Welcome back to the Mother Letter Project!
When I walked into the local business last Thursday morning, I had no idea that the owner would share words that would recast the Mother Letter Project. As a proprietor who donates a large percentage of profits to feed orphans around the world, and as one who is trying to solve local hunger issues, he is often asked “what church do you attend,’ or ‘with what political party are you affiliated?” He remarked, “these are the wrong questions.”
And what is the question? Compassion. Specifically, are you focused on living a life of compassion?
Over the coming days, weeks, and months, we want to participate in answering this question with you here at the Mother Letter Project. Many of you showed compassion to an unknown wife and an unknown village by sharing your Mother Letters last Christmas. But on a daily basis, How do you focus on showing your children compassion? How do you focus on showing your spouse compassion? What about your next-door neighbor? Do you share compassion with your on-line community—your blog readers, twitter followers, or chat buddies?
Over the coming days, we’ll begin posting again. We want you to share your ideas with us. We want this to become a community where thoughts are exchanged and treasured. We want this to be a place of encouragement and compassion. Although this site will inevitably evolve as we move forward with this focus, we look forward to moving this project along with you.
Let’s get to work!
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
Questions I’m thinking:
What does Compassion even mean?
What does it look like? Who have you seen Do Compassion?
How have others had Compassion on you?
This conjures a lot for me.
Oh boy…
I thought about compassion a lot yesterday. It was the one year anniversary of my cousin’s death. She accidentally over-dosed after a long period of sobriety. Her mother embodies compassion. She is a great example to me of how compassion is wrapped up in humility. I don’t know that I can describe the way she lives and loves, but I know that’s it’s enveloped in a spirit beyond humanity. It colors everything she does, but she’s not TRYING to live it, she just IS it. I ask myself, how do I get there? Do I beg for all my other stuff to disappear so it can be replaced with consuming compassion. I hope it’s happening, and if/when it does, I know it will not be OF me, but of my Maker.
Wow, I wrote a book. Amber’s comment really got me thinking…
One last thought…How do we really MEAN it? I mean, we could put our hands and hearts in a million hurting places and then be spread thin and maybe even numb. How do we choose? How do we know where our personal focus should be? That overwhelms me sometimes. Just sayin’.
Dude… this is a great conversation to have! In fact, I just closed out a creative writing challenge on the topic of compassion at my site, and got some great poems, stories, etc. that would lend well to this conversation. Check them out…
http://bibledude.net/2009/06/creative-writing-challenge-compassion-edition/
(By the way… I usually don’t comment on blogs only to drop links to my own! I just thought that these writings submitted by many others are good enough to add value to this conversation.)
For me, I’d say that living with compassion is being the person I like to think/say I am. Being to others what I sometimes wish others would be for me. Giving the small things that make such a huge difference- sometimes a lifetime of difference.
Amber, thank you for getting us started. Appropriate, I should say.
Heather,
“I mean, we could put our hands and hearts in a million hurting places and then be spread thin and maybe even numb.”
This is the heart of the question. How do we show compassion with balance. I am afraid that we, mothers and fathers both, pour ourselves into too many things/activities and end up in a place where compassion and meaning take a back seat. I hope that this site can serve as a bit of a refocusing place for mothers (and fathers alike). A place where we can share ideas about focusing our time so that we do the most amount of good with our limited resources without being thinned out too much.
Mandie,
Good words and I certainly agree. The small things do make a huge difference, don’t they?
This is awesome! Please keep me informed.
Ok…here’s another thought I had after a frustrating experience:
Not judging those who do not share your ‘flavor’ of compassion. For me, that is way harder than doing things for others. Just putting that out there…
Dan, I promise to be quicker on the approval of comments later. I’ll check out your site soon! Thanks for dropping by the MLP site.
Compassion is what rolls me out of bed every morning when satan’s lies whisper to my soul like a choking black death.
Compassion gently calls my name when the seductiveness of the world draws too near.
Compassion came in the form of blue eyes to put my mind at ease.
Compassion shouts, “IT IS FINISHED!” When the trepidation of my wrongdoing is all consuming and flutters my heart in a beat off pace.
Compassion died on the cross and after three days, rose . . .all to save my soul.
Compassion is much harder to give then to receive. . .but I’m working at it. . .day by day.
Compassion looks like the relationship between a loving mother and a sweet baby - there is devotion, there is understanding.
It is a warm hug, a door held open, and the squeeze of understanding.
I am thrilled you are back. The Mother Letter Project and everything it embodies shines a remarkable light on compassion, on love - on what matters.
xoxo Danielle
Amy, good words. Thanks for stopping by and adding to the discussion.
I am thrilled that you are back, Danielle. I think this is going to be fun, so long as folks like you, Amy, Mandie, Tabitha, Dan, and Heather stick around.
And I have a feeling we might be hearing a bit about an extraordinary mommy or two in the future.