COMPASSION FOR THE HURTING
May is Mental Health Awareness Month in the United States. This May, one couple was dining at a restaurant in Buffalo, NY, and noticed a semicolon tattoo on the wrist of their server, Katie Battel. A semicolon is used when a writer could’ve chosen to end a sentence but chose not to; in the same way, a semicolon tattoo shows that the person has chosen not to end his or her life. The couple left a nice tip for Katie and a note saying they were so glad she was still here. What they didn’t know was that Katie’s suicidal thoughts had returned lately. “It was just like a sign,” she told a reporter. “Like, ‘Hey, girl, we know you’re going through it again, but … here’s a little boost to help you keep going.’ ” An act of compassion helped give this young woman a future.
COMPASSION FOR THE SINFUL
When Jonah finally preached God’s message of doom in the heart of Nineveh, he could hardly have guessed the city’s reaction. While he was still hoping for them to reject God’s warning and suffer His judgment, they took the prophecy seriously. From the king in his palace to the lowliest livestock, all put on sackcloth and fasted, together begging the Lord to show compassion on them and turn His wrath away.
Questions
- When you hear the words Mental Health Awareness Month, who or what comes to mind?
- What’s a dark outcome you or someone else turned from, and what caused the change?
- Do you regularly pray for those who hurt you? Explain your answer.
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