Show Compassion | Ericaism

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I had a very Interesting conversation with Zaya last night. My 11 year old, who’s in the 6th grade and she’s at middle school with her brother. And you know, she’s in the 6th grade, but it goes to 8th grade. So there’s some older kids. And so she kept talking about this one boy in her class. And she said, mom, be so naughty, like he’s always disrupting the class and this and that. And, you know, when we got in trouble because he wouldn’t be quiet and she was really upset about it.  

And I told her, I said, I understand your frustration, I said, but also consider showing him some compassion because we don’t know what’s going on in his life. We don’t know why he’s so problematic or troublesome when he comes to school. I said. I don’t think anybody wakes up and says today I want to irritate the whole class. So don’t think about anybody wakes up and say, let me see how I can mess up everybody’s day. 

I said I don’t think that’s the intention, so why don’t you pray for him? No, mommy. I just think he’s bad. And I just think he himself. I talked a little bit more about compassion, so turn instead of. Has there ever been a time when you didn’t follow the rules or you broke something and you got in trouble? And that was what you plan to do? You woke up and said I’m going to get in trouble with my mom and dad today. Well, no, I said. It just kind of happened. You made some bad choices and and and maybe you were a little frustrated until you were mean with your brother and you did some things and said some things I said that’s happened a few times. Was that your intention to wake up and get in trouble that day. And she said, well, no. And I said, so why don’t you try having compassion for this young guy instead of joining the class? You know, when they’re talking about him getting in trouble? 

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Why don’t you extend some Christlike kindness to him, and so, you know, we talked a little bit about it and I’m always trying to extend those messages. And I told her the reason I can do that is because I’ve always kind of been that one. If they said this is the bad kid, I wanted to know the kid because I wanted to know why are they calling them bad and are they really bad and is there something else going on? I don’t know where that came from. 

Maybe it’s something that God placed on the inside of me, but I really do care about people. I have compassion for their stories. I don’t just take what they say when they say this one is a is a dad or this or that. I don’t. I don’t accept the label because I think you are more than what you have been labeled. You are more than what you have been labeled by your family or your church or your experience. And maybe you actually did what they’re saying you did. 

But that’s not who God calls you. So I think as we learn to have compassion for other people, we appreciate the same compassion as that that has been extended to us. So let’s extend compassion to one another, a little bit more. And yes, people make mistakes. And yes, they do wrong things. And yes, they should be held accountable. But should we throw them away for it, no. Should we forget that they are also a child of God? Absolutely not. So let’s extend some compassion and kindness today