Compassion still exists

The VOICE of Inspiration

By Don Lindsey

One of my biggest worries about life is how we, as human beings, treat each other. I’ve talked about it a lot in these columns and have prayed that we get our act together before we destroy each other. We tend to see more about people who are at odds or fighting against those who have different beliefs than we do about those stories that are about folks lifting one another up, or at least that’s what I thought until I came across a Facebook post that my nephew made.

The original post happened a couple of weeks ago but for some reason appeared on my timeline again early in the week. He was giving a testimony about how his soon to be stepdaughter saw a homeless man, bowed her head and prayed for him. Just hearing about it touched me. That made me think about how a woman who goes to my church said she prays every time an ambulance goes by for whoever is on their way to the hospital.

From there I started seeing more stories on Facebook or on the news that talked about folks helping other folks. One instance was about a man in Glendale, Indiana who saw a convoy of troops stop at a gas station for snacks and decided to pick up the tab for all the soldiers. This was something that he does all the time and had no idea that he was being recorded while it was happening. He just wanted to show his appreciation and support to our troops for all that they do.

Then I saw a story about a little girl who was getting ready to eat in a restaurant with her family when she noticed a homeless man outside sitting on a bench. When her meal came, she picked it up, walked it outside and handed it to the man. They made eye contact, you could see him say thank you and then she turned around and walked back to her family.

These examples of kindness gave me hope and made me realize that I tend to focus too much on all of the evil going on in the world as opposed to appreciating the fact that we still possess the ability to love others. In a time where we are so divided, taking time to remind someone that they’re not alone can save them at times and almost always makes their day. It can be an emotional response, like the prayer my nephew’s little girl said or a physical action as I saw with the man in Indiana and the other little girl at the restaurant. These acts of kindness to me, showcase us at our best. We can do so much to build each other up and make ourselves better in the process.

I recently saw an interview with Lady Gaga, who was taking part in what looked to be a press conference with The Dalai Lama. I should probably state that I’m not very familiar with her music and every time I’ve seen her, she’s been dressed up in some costume that I didn’t understand while she performed. The only other thing I know about her is that she has a beautiful voice from a couple of the songs that I have heard from her. During this press conference, she talked about how hate is an intelligent enemy of ours, which I raised an eyebrow about when she first said it. As she kept speaking, however, her point became obvious, and I found myself moved by her words.

She pointed out how hate divides us, breaks us up into smaller groups because it can’t defeat us when we’re standing together. When we’re divided and fighting amongst ourselves, all we see is what we want, or think is best instead of listening to those around us and finding out what is best for them as well. She went on to explain how kindness, the direct opposite of what divides us is how we keep hate from winning out. That once again leads me back to remembering all of the wonderful acts of compassion that I’ve seen over the last couple of weeks.

Whether it’s offering to help someone, doing a good dead, emotionally sending them support through thoughts and prayers, the things I spoke about in this article have taught me that compassion still exists. Now that I’m armed with that knowledge, I am not as concerned for our future as I have been in the past.

Don Lindsey is a follower of Christ, son, husband, father, and a survivor. Originally from Dayton Ohio, and resident of Apopka for six years, Don sees his life as a dedication to his wife, parents, children, and community.