Wednesday, March 24, 2021

When we look back at this past year, much of it was filled with uncertainty, stress, and a lot of change. Through all of this, our family has found many “bright spots” to focus on. One example is the deeper sense of compassion that we developed.

Compassion means recognizing another’s suffering and then taking action to help. When masks became necessary to stop the spread of the virus, we focused on the inherent compassion of the act. We talked about how the masks weren’t to protect us from other people, but instead to protect other people from us. We talked about doing our part to protect vulnerable members of our family, friends, and community from getting sick. We talked about the hard-working medical professionals and how wearing our masks could help ease their burden. The simple act of putting on a mask became a simple act of compassion.
 
Likewise, digital “visits” have become a regular part of our lives and represent another simple act of compassion. While necessitated by social distancing, online chats have provided a “bright spot” for friends and family that have become isolated during the pandemic. Our kids are more than happy to bounce around on a computer screen, show and tell everything they can get their hands on, and share more details about the daily happenings of our household than most people would care to hear about.
 
So, while we continue to navigate through some bleak times, we certainly value the opportunities for showing and receiving compassionate to and from others.
 
“In all this I have given you an example that by such work we must support the weak, remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, for he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”                  Acts 20:35

The Coup family