Weave and Sew Dust

Compassion JBB

. . .for I am compassionate—Exodus 22:26

I cannot say it any better than these words by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, USCC, November 1999:

“Because God loves you, you never stand alone. There is someone with you in anxious moments who knows your deepest desires and wants what's best for you. Think of the person who has loved you most. Multiply that love a million times over and you still haven't reached the extent of God's personal love for you.

Because God loves you, you can go beyond yourself. You can forgive those who have hurt you, however deeply. Even when you feel intense pain, the possibility of forgiveness lies within you. You can forgive others because God is always ready to forgive your sins. You can overlook wrongs because God empowers you to go beyond your own heartache.

Because God loves you, you can ask forgiveness of those you have hurt. You can admit wrongs and ask forgiveness to make relationships right. His grace can heal you.

Because God loves you, you can care for the weak, remove injustices, alleviate poverty, annihilate oppression, and restore righteousness in our world. The love of God in you gives you strength to defend the unborn, support the elderly, and lift the hearts of those without hope. God's grace in you helps you to see that in every person beats a heart yearning to be loved.

Because God loves you, you have the power to touch hearts with compassion, heal wounds in those around you, and act selflessly.

. . .Now through the Holy Spirit, the power of God's love lies within you.”                 http://www.sjnews.org/because.htm

Created in the image of God, we human beings cannot live our lives wrapped up in our own little world. As God is compassionate so must we be. The unity of love of God and love of neighbor is a hallmark of the new covenant in Jesus Christ. . .transcendent mystery and loving labor hand-in-hand.

Now, you cannot say, “I did not know.”

What does love look like?

For us, love looked like a cute little blond with sparkling blue eyes and a Southern drawl who flashed into our son's life nine years ago, along with her darling daughter, Kayla. "Windi", as her grandfather nicknamed her at her birth, was so full of life and love that one would never know she had a heart transplant in her late 20's. At the time that she gave birth to our grandson, Christopher, eight years ago, she was one of only 40 women worldwide, who successfully carried a baby full term after having a heart transplant. . .our miracle baby from one of God's most  loving mothers. 

This past North Carolina weekend, the weekend she left us to run to her Maker, was picture perfect--like God made nature look and feel like Windi. . .the blue of her eyes in the sky, the leaves turning yellow gold like her hair, a spunky breeze, the just right warmth from the sun, and, at night, how the stars twinkled. She would have soaked in the glorious day with her family because she knew how precious life is in every day that she had. . .who should care about laundry and matching onesie socks. . .she had her priorities straight.

When I finally got into my car that day, the very first song that played on the radio . . ."Bye, Bye, Miss American Pie."  I am so going to miss you, my daughter-in-love.