December Visiting Teaching Printable: Compassionate
This month for visiting teaching, the attribute of Jesus Christ is compassion.
I thought about this after reading the message.
I thought for a while...
What is the difference between sympathy and compassion?
Sympathy: the fact or power of sharing the feelings of another, especially in sorrow or trouble; fellow feeling, compassion, or commiseration.
Compassion: a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.
The difference between the two is action!
Compassion has with it a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.
The scriptures don't talk about Christ being sympathetic. He was and is compassionate.
All that He desires is to 'alleviate the suffering'.
All of the examples in this months message, taken from the New Testament, include examples of our Savior taking action to alleviate the suffering.
Am I compassionate?
Do I alleviate suffering?
As I thought about this, I thought about the word 'relief'.
As we alleviate suffering, we give the gift of relief.
That thought brought a whole new depth to the meaning of Relief Society for me.
Elder John A. Widtsoe of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles described the foundational work of the Relief Society: “Relief of poverty, relief of illness; relief of doubt, relief of ignorance— relief of all that hinders the joy and progress of woman. What a magnificent commission!”
The oldest and largest women's organization in the world is the Relief Society of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
All disciples of Jesus Christ are commissioned with the work of compassion, to offer and alleviate suffering, in all sorts of forms.
Our example is our Savior, our commission comes from Him.
As we team up with Him, to do His work, to reach all of God's children our compassion can be a light, a healing balm, a relief.
I created this printable this month...
The quote on the bottom is from Lucy Mack Smith.
We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another and gain instruction, that we may all sit down in heaven together.
What a joyous thought and goal, that we work for here and now!
I coupled this printable with a box of bandaids and a little purse first aid kit.
Happy visiting teaching and may this month, of all the month's of the year, may we focus more acutely on being compassionate.
** Feel free to download the printable.
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