When I heard God whisper the word “compassion” during the closing months of last year, I knew that a surrender was being called forth. I had remembered that the root words for compassion mean to “suffer with.” And so I sat down with His Spirit to ask what He meant . . .
Well, actually I resisted, and cried out, and said “not that, Lord!” But He graciously poured mercy into my heart and balm on my wounds as the pain from my RA intensified. However, when the questions of last week’s post were answered with His own question, “Will you come with Me?” I wondered how He would plunge me deeper into His compassions.
Then the medication, the “outside of the box” solution, failed. In fact the side effects were like none I’ve ever known. Strange, stabbing head pains that made me weep and curl into a ball were not what I was expecting. But HIS compassions never fail. He called forth praises from my lips even in the midst of the stabbing, and HIS love carried me through once again. So what can I say? Where is the love of God when the answers turn us inside out? Where is His Grace when we stumble and fall beneath the load?
He Bore it All
He bore it all for me
This pain that stabs my head
It was His love that bore the crown
the crown of thorns that pierced his brow.
He bore it all for me
This pain that marks my hand
It was His love that carried the cross
the nails that pierced His wrist
He bore it all for me
This pain that grips my toes
It was His love that took the spike
when hammer plunged his feet
Oh how I weep and how I moan
When pain clouds over my seeing
It was His love that sent Him here
where death defined His living
Where can I go, Where can I stay
My only source of being
Has opened Heaven wide
Where LOVING is His Living.
But how can I live, how can I love, when all I feel are the enemies’ blows? What if the enemy has become my own body? And where is the rescue when the medications meant to help feel like another enemy flooding over me?
The words were spoken by a trusted friend, and the tears flowed as I knew them to be words from the heart of Jesus:
Can you love your enemies even if your own body has become the enemy?
“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” Matthew 5:43-45 NIV
He bore it all for me
every enemy blow meant for me
it was me who was far off, God’s enemy
but He loved me then, He loves me now.
But God still loved us with such great love. He is so rich in compassion and mercy. Even when we were dead and doomed in our many sins, he united us into the very life of Christ and saved us by his wonderful grace! Ephesians 2:4-5 (Passion Translation)
I cannot do it. Plain and simple, I cannot love even one of my enemies, especially when that enemy has become my own body. But HE can, and He does.
Oh, praise the ONE who is all compassion, all loving. He has brought us near.
“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort,” 2 Corinthians 1:3
And He is covering me, He is covering you with His deep, deep love.
Would you pray with me today?
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank You for being all loving, all compassionate. We are undone by the ways that You have shown only love to every one of Your enemies–even to us. Forgive us for trying to wage war against those enemies ourselves. And Lord, would You open our eyes to begin to see how deeply You have loved us, have covered us, have carried us. In this covering we long to love You with that same love. We acknowledge we are too weak to love on our own. Would You give us Your love? And may You help us to allow Your own dear love to flood our hearts for those enemies in our lives today.
In the Precious Name of Your son, Jesus, we pray,
Amen.
BettieGsRAseasons 
Sending you the most tender, loving hug He will do through me. Bettie, I am so sorry the medicine failed. Praying now to Jesus to make the way for freedom of movement in your body. Love you, sister.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Dear Julie,
Thank you so much for your tender care and hugs! I do feel Him carrying me through these days. He is purifying my hope to be fixed on HIM alone. Blessings and love to you Dear Sister.
LikeLike
Amen! Praying for you Bettie, God bless you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you so much Brother! I do appreciate your prayers so much. Blessings to you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nc3DbuAbCKc&t=230s Blessings and love Lisa Enqvist http://lisaenqvist.blogspot.fi/For a purpose
On Mon, Jan 28, 2019 at 6:40 PM BettieGsRAseasons wrote:
> Bettie G posted: “When I heard God whisper the word “compassion” during > the closing months of last year, I knew that a surrender was being called > forth. I had remembered that the root words for compassion mean to “suffer > with.” And so I sat down with His Spirit to ask wha” >
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Lisa, for that encouraging sermon about Job, and then Paul & Silas also. Those midnight praises are such a miracle, aren’t they? Thank you for understanding and for sharing such precious gifts from the Lord. You are in my prayers also Dear Friend.
LikeLike
beautiful poetry. Oh to have the compassion that Jesus has for us. Lord, help us be compassionate to those around us.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh, Amen, Mandy. We cannot grasp the depths and heights of His love, can we? But He does long to show us! And yes, may we open our hearts to share that compassion also. Blessings and Love to you!
LikeLike
You have given us a beautiful message today. Thank you. I am praying for you. Thank you for your honesty and your love for God.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Melissa,
I appreciate your prayers and your kind encouragement so much! What a gift we have to be able share our hearts with each other, even as the Lord joins us together! Blessings to you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
You inspire me Bettie, with how much you lean into God with all that you are going through. And continue to do God’s call on you to write, share, and love on others. Hugs and prayers..!
LikeLiked by 2 people
Oh Lynn, I appreciate the ways that you are always such an encouragement. Our Lord is so near to us, and we miss it so often. I am so thankful for your beautiful photography that shows so much of His Wonder! Jesus has given so much for us. May we continue to walk with Him. Hugs and Prayers and Love for you!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m so, so sorry, Bettie. I so wish I could take away your pain. 😦 I’ll keep praying for you. Your poem really touches my heart. I feel nudged to share a prayer of Brennan Manning in a book I’m reading – “The Furious Longing of God.” I thought of it after I read your poem. “Jesus, human words cannot bear the weight of Your mercy and compassion. My union with You is like being so attached that life seems impossible without You. Detached from You during my days of sour wine and withered roses was a shadow life. I have no sense of myself apart from You. My bones say thank You for this now moment. Amen.” Love and blessings of pain-free moments and peace!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Trudy,
Oh thank you so much for sharing the poem by Brennan Manning. I loved His “Ragamuffin Gospel.” How precious: “My bones say thank You for this now moment.” The Lord is continuing to ask me to praise Him with every cell (even my diseased bones) and now this week He stretched that to include letting every cell be bathed in His love then. I am weeping now, thinking of these words you shared, and how timely they are from the Lord. I am going to copy them in my Poetry Journal. Thank you for the encouragement and blessing that you have shared today. Love and blessings and hugs for you. xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, dear friend! I was SO disappointed when I read that the new meds did not help, and they only caused you so much added pain and suffering. I am so, so sorry. Right now, at this moment, our dear son has his radio on his room, and it is playing a song by Unspoken. The words say, “Don’t you give up on a miracle, You’ve gotta speak to the impossible, Pray ’til your prayers break through the ceiling…” He has been singing it concerning a situation in his life, and I just cry as I hear him singing it. I SO long for his miracle to come through for him, and for your miracle to come through for you, too, and for so many others who are hurting and suffering. We will never fully understand the pain and things we have to go through in this life, and so often I have wished that Jesus were HERE, in the flesh, and how I would do Anything necessary to get to Him and have Him fix certain things. Then it occurs to me that Jesus Christ is just the same yesterday, today, and forever, and surely He is looking on and seeing all that touches all of our lives and as you so sweetly shared here today, He is moved with compassion for us. His compassions fail not, and His mercies are new every morning. I pray He sends relief to you today, my friend. Please keep encouraged. You are so deeply loved.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, Cheryl, I am so sorry that your son is facing such a difficult time. But what a gift from God that the Lord is right there, building His faith upon those very thoughts that you shared so beautifully with me. Jesus is the same, so faithful day after day, never failing in His compassion for us. I don’t understand these trials, and these storms that we must face, and yet Jesus did warn us that we would face hardship. OH! What a miracle His grace is towards us that He is carrying us and being that strong tower for us. I know that someday we will look back on these days and rejoice over the ways that He was so strong in and for us. We might not see it yet, be we will. Thank you so much for your beautiful sharing and praying, my sweet friend. I appreciate you so much, and I’m so thankful that we can lift each other, and our children to HIM. Hugs and Love to you!
LikeLike
Reading that compassion is “suffering with” hit me in a new way today. My heart hurts that once again you are suffering from side effects that are out of your control. You posed several questions that stopped me in my tracks. The first one was “Where is the love of God when the answers turn us inside out?” Wow!
The second question that I’m sure you are still thinking about to is “Can you love your enemies even if your own body has become the enemy?”
All I know is that God is with you and when you feel your worst He is working to turn it into your best. Love you, Bettie!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Mary,
Thank you for your sweet encouragement and beautiful insights here. He truly does take His Word deeper in our hearts, doesn’t He? We can never reach the end of understanding–He always has more for us. And while that is so hard now, in the midst of these questions, there is such grace there when I can step back and realize that He is showing me what I “don’t yet understand,” even as He spoke that to His disciples. And when I don’t see how I can possibly love my enemy–my malfunctioning body and medications–He has a way. He is turning it for my best, somehow. I appreciate your prayers so very much! And I appreciate the ways that the Lord allows us to share His heart together! You have blessed me again. Blessings and love to you!
LikeLike
Dear Bettie, thank you for reminding me I am not alone in my struggle to love my enemy. He will love them through us as we submit, trust, and obey. Gentle hugs. xo
Blessings – Wendy Mac
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh Dear Wendy, it is beyond us, isn’t it? This loving of those enemies–how is that even possible? But Jesus brings His love to me right here, He saw me when I was afar off, and loved me even then. And I so appreciate your thoughts here, “He will love them through us as we submit, trust, and obey.” Amen. Yes, Lord, have Your way in us. Love and gentle hugs to you Dear Friend. xo
LikeLiked by 1 person
“I cannot do it. Plain and simple, I cannot love even one of my enemies, especially when that enemy has become my own body. But HE can, and He does.” AMEN Oh, Bettie, your poem is so touching and heartfelt. Yes, Jesus has borne it all for us, but it is hard to feel the pain when it is so intense. I’m so thankful you can find rest in His loving arms knowing He cares. So much love and many blessings to you, dear sister/poet/friend! xoxo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Gayl,
Thank you so much for your many prayers and encouraging words. I am truly grateful that God also sends us His love through the love of dear friends! He shows us in so many different ways how deeply His love covers us, and I am thankful that He does make a way to bring that love right into my own heart. It is such a process, though, and yes that intense pain is so hard sometimes. I am glad He doesn’t ever leave us! Blessings, love, and hugs to you my dear poet/sister/friend! xoxo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, my friend, what exquisite poetry and anguished questions have risen from your suffering and pain! Your poor, wounded body has already borne so much hardship, with each new medication failing to address or alleviate it. And yet God calls you to endure and persevere in the face of it all, as His face of compassion and love becomes dearer still to you.
What awes and amazes me is how you continue to demonstrate the same kind of reassuring love, care and compassion toward others, as seen here: “And He is covering me, He is covering you with His deep, deep love.” Tears well in my eyes at the thought of the struggles you are going through, and all that the Lord is revealing to you as you look to Him for help. Sending gentle hugs, ongoing prayers and lots of love to you, dear Bettie. xoxo 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Joy,
I am overwhelmed by the sweet compassion that you have shown to me my Dear Friend. To know that you, who also suffer through many hard days with pain and illness, would be moved to pray for and care for me is such a gift. How does the Lord stir in our hearts that way? We know that it is not in ourselves, to be able to look under the pain for the gift that is hidden within, but yet He brings that to us. I wonder if His pursuing of us, is in some way the path that He uses to stir our hearts to keep waiting on Him? Oh, may my heart continue to look to Him and to His love in the moments of these days set before me. And may you be blessed with His gifts today also! I appreciate your friendship more than you can know! Love and Hugs to you Dear Friend. xoxo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Bettie, yes it is a gift, and one that has been returned to me in full measure. As we journey together the load feels lighter somehow in the sharing, caring and praying for each other. We are also given the opportunity to wait on the Lord with increasing dependency, a place of soul surrender, where He sweetly reveals His love to us. I’m so grateful for your friendship too, and the depth of kindness and compassion you have offered me. And thankful that God gives you such beautiful words to write. May we both find soul encouragement as we look to Him for everything! Love you! Blessings and hugs. xoxo 💜
LikeLiked by 1 person
Dear Bettie,
I just gone through your few posts yesterday.I would like to tell you only one this at this moment – JESUS is there for you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you Athira! Oh yes, Jesus is everything we need! He is so near and precious to us! Blessings to you also!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks alot Bettie..Will keep you in my prayers!
LikeLiked by 1 person
And thank you so very much today too!
LikeLike