"But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbor? ...And he said, He that shewed mercy on him." Luke 10
When the lawyer asked Jesus who his neighbor was, He responded with the parable we all know as the "Good Samaritan" after which the lawyer acknowledged that the one who had compassion on the unfortunate was a true neighbor.
Not long ago, one of my friends told this story of how a total stranger showed her compassion. One day while grocery shopping with her baby daughter who was being exceptionally fussy, she was becoming weary and frustrated with trying to calm her child, push the cart, and find the things she needed. A woman observing her struggle, left her husband with their cart and came to the young mother's rescue. Without preamble she told my friend, "Here, I'll push your cart for you." Such a self-less act of genuine kindness!
Perhaps what moves us to compassion most surely is the feeling of having walked in another's shoes. Who knows but the Samaritan in our Bible parable had at one time also been beaten and torn? The random lady in the grocery store likely had been a new mom at one time too. But what is the key to unlocking the door to an aching heart?
Someone suggested a simple smile will nearly always open up the way for communication. A frank, open smile in itself communicates a message of comradeship and often is followed by a spoken response. Just maybe it won't end there. Can we be prepared for what might come spilling through the open door we just unlocked with that smile? If a smile is the key to another's heart, it is also the key to blessings acquired by unselfish compassion.
As we go here and there, let's try to give as many free smiles as the people we meet. Think of it as smiles for Jesus; and remember, once it's given, it's His, so let's be prepared for further instructions. He often looks for helpers for performing His miracles.
He smiles at someone since you smiled,
And then that one smiles back,
And then one smiles until, in truth,
You fail in keeping track!
And since a smile can do great good
By cheering hearts of care,
Let's smile and smile and not forget
That smiles go everywhere.
from "A Smile," author unknown
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