We were all young once. We are growing older every day. And one day we may need the same patience, compassion, and understanding that we sometimes refuse to give others today.
I was sitting and waiting for my car oil to be changed, watching people walk back and forth, each person busy with their own life. And I noticed something that made me stop and think.
Some elderly people were still trying to do things for themselves, even when it was difficult. They were moving more slowly, and some things that might be easy for a younger person seemed to require much more effort from them.
And I started thinking. Perhaps they still want their independence. Perhaps they do not have anyone available to help them. Perhaps they simply have no other choice but to keep going.
And then I asked myself — why can we not be more compassionate toward one another?
Life Is a Journey We All Walk
We were born. We grew. We worked. We struggled. We aged. As the years pass our bodies change, our abilities change, and sometimes we need help with things we once did without even thinking.
So why should we look down on someone because they are different from us? Why should we judge someone because of their race, their color, their gender, or their circumstances?
When we get hurt, we feel pain. When we lose someone we love, we grieve. When life becomes difficult, we struggle. And when we need compassion, we want someone to understand us.
Our skin colors may be different. But our humanity is not.
What Proverbs Is Teaching Me
This is one of the reasons I have fallen in love with the Book of Proverbs. The more I read it the more I discover wisdom about how we should live, how we should speak, how we should treat people, and how we should conduct ourselves in every area of life.
Proverbs 3:3-4 teaches us not to let love and faithfulness leave us but to bind them around our necks and write them on our hearts.
And Proverbs 31:8-9 reminds us to speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and to defend the rights of those who are vulnerable.
God is teaching us that wisdom is not only about what we know. It is also about how we treat the people around us.
What If We Looked at Each Other Differently?
When I think about the sacrifice God made for humanity through Jesus Christ my heart becomes heavy. God showed us love. He showed us mercy. He gave us a direction to follow. Yet so often we hurt one another instead of loving one another. We allow differences to divide us. We allow hatred to take root in our hearts. We judge people without knowing their stories.
But what if we started looking at each other differently.
What if before judging someone we remembered that they have feelings just like we do.
What if before refusing to help someone we remembered that one day we might be the ones who need help.
What if before hating someone because of their differences we remembered that we are all human beings created by the same God.
Imagine how different our families, our marriages, our communities, and our world could be if we practiced compassion every single day.
A Message for Our Families
We cannot change the entire world in one day. But we can change how we treat the person standing right in front of us.
Be patient with the elderly. Teach the younger generation to respect others. Be kind to people whose stories you do not know. Stop judging people by their appearance, their background, or their circumstances.
The young people of today are the elderly people of tomorrow. The compassion you give today may be the compassion you need tomorrow.
A Prayer for Compassionate Hearts
Heavenly Father, thank You for the gift of life. Thank You for allowing us to grow, to learn, and to experience the different seasons of life.
Lord, forgive us for the times we have judged others, looked down on people, or allowed hatred to take the place of love in our hearts.
Teach us to see people through Your eyes. Give us compassionate hearts, patient spirits, and the wisdom to treat everyone with dignity regardless of their age, color, background, or circumstances.
Help us teach our children to love, respect, and care for others. Remind us that we are not here to hurt one another but to be a blessing to one another.
May Your love bring healing to our families and unity to our communities. In Jesus name. Amen.
Scriptures to Carry With You
Proverbs 3:3-4 — Let not mercy and truth forsake thee. Bind them about thy neck and write them upon the table of thine heart.
Proverbs 31:8-9 — Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves and defend the rights of the vulnerable.
Ephesians 4:32 — Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.
Where there is a will there is always a place for love and unity.
Life is not just about growing older. It is about growing wiser, growing in love, and learning how to treat one another the way God calls us to.
God bless you.