WANTED: A little Mercy and Compassion

*Mercy: "a disposition to be kind and forgiving"
*Compassion: "awareness of the suffering of another"

Based on those definitions, I think I wouldn't mind having a T-shirt or two made up. Want one? I thought that little dinosaur to the left sure represents how one can look without it. To me, it represents someone that is so hung up on themselves, judgmental, critical, prideful, etc. that I don't see any hope for Mercy and Compassion to reside within, do you? Or do you? The Lord knows the heart. It's man that looks at the outward part because sure enough, if you were to prayerfully look again at the person that that dinosaur represents, you might find someone who is just in need of a little mercy and compassion and that's all.

If the dinosaurs skin represented what a person becomes without receiving necessary compassion, you'd see parched and dry. More importantly you'd see a toughness you've never encountered before. It might even intimidate you but it's worth the effort to find out if that person could use a cold, refreshing glass of mercy. It's possible if you got a little closer, you'd find an open wound underneath that wasn't visible before. It would probably be somewhat infected causing excruciating pain to the spirit within that person. Merciless people who forced their mercilessness upon that person got there first and weren't equipped to deal with the wound so they applied a little more salt on it with their own bitterness, ineffectiveness, judgments and criticisms.

Isn't it interesting that a little oil (anointing) might soothe the wound and soften the heart. It has to be done with the right oil though else it will only cause further pain. It's risky too because you don't want to cause that "dinosaur" to run into the woods and never come out again. It would die as a result of that fatal wound. So let me ask you? Have you ever wondered what wounds folks around you might be suffering with but their skin is too tough? Perhaps you don't see it anymore as anything other than tough skin? I can guarantee you one thing. They're sure not talking about it. Isn't that a YIKES! if ever there was one? Do you have tough skin?

Oh and by the way, I got those definitions from "The American Heritage Desk Dictionary". :)