Note from Jennifer: Please give a warm welcome to my newest contributor to the blog, Shirley Crowder. She is also part of the Inspired Prompt blog and a good friend. 🙂

By Shirley Crowder

I’ve heard it said that compassion is when someone else’s heartbreak becomes your heartbreak. I witnessed a beautiful depiction of a child’s compassion several weeks ago.

I was at a restaurant for breakfast when I noticed a little girl about seven years old and her mom waiting for their breakfast to be served. The little girl was playing with and talking to her doll. At the table next to them, a lady who was probably in her seventies had just been seated.

The waitress came up and took this lady’s order. The lady sat all alone and looked very sad. When her waitress came back with her coffee, the lady barely acknowledged the coffee cup that had been placed in front of her. The waitress asked, “Ma’am, is there anything I can do for you?”

I noticed a tear slowly roll down her face as she said, “No thank you. I’ve just come from the hospital where I watched my only daughter die.”

The embarrassed waitress hurried off and left the lady crying. Next thing I knew, the little girl got off her chair, grabbed her doll, and walked over to the lady’s table and sat down beside her. The little girl’s mom jumped up and walked toward the table just as her daughter said, “I’m sorry you’re sad. If you play with my doll Grace, maybe you won’t miss your daughter so much.”

She handed her doll to the lady and began telling her the doll’s name and the things she liked to do. The little girl’s mom sat down in the chair across from her daughter. About then the waitress brought their breakfast and the elderly lady asked if they would join her for breakfast.

The little girl continued talking about all the adventures she and her doll had. I heard her mom say they needed to go. The little girl got up, walked over to the elderly lady, and gave her a big hug. She then picked up her doll and said, “Grace, you’re going to go live with this nice lady so she can have someone to love.”

The elderly woman was so overwhelmed with the compassion and kindness of this little girl she was weeping. She composed herself and then said to the little girl, “You know, Grace needs another little girl to play with. Would you take her home with you and be her friend? Maybe we can get together for breakfast again very soon so I can see her.”

I had to leave so I wasn’t late for a meeting, so I don’t know what else happened. But I know that I was not the only teary-eyed customer within earshot of the exchange between this little girl and the elderly woman.

Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2 ESV) came to mind. This little girl was certainly doing her best to bear the burden of the elderly lady.

I then thought of As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace (1 Peter 4:10 ESV). I’m still amazed at how thoughtful it was for this little girl to offer to give away her very special friend, Grace.

And that, of course, led me to think of God’s compassion through which He gives His grace to us. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Ephesians 2:8-9 ESV).

Remember, God’s compassion for us compels and propels us to be compassionate to those whom God brings across our path.

*Photo:© Can Stock Photo / Aletia

Born in Nigeria, West Africa, where her parents served as missionaries, Shirley Crowder is passionate about disciple-making, which is manifested through a myriad of ministry opportunities that include biblical counseling, teaching Bible studies, speaking at conferences, writing, co-hosting a radio/TV program for women, and serving on the national advisory team for The Addiction Connection.

Six published books and three soon-to-be-released books were contributed to, authored, or co-authored by Shirley. She is an award-winning author and has written for a newspaper, blogs, Student Life, Seek Magazine, and Woman’s Missionary Union.

Shirley has spiritual children and grandchildren serving the Lord in various ways throughout the world. Find Shirley at www.ThroughtheLensofScripture.com,  Amazon, Twitter, and Facebook.