I’ll admit it: I’m not a very compassionate mom. My kids have to beg for a band-aid, and most of the time when they get hurt my response is, “Come here, give me a hug. See? All better!” (As if those words would make it so.)
Of course there are times when a band-aid wasn’t enough. Like the time my son needed stitches on the back of his head after slipping in a parking lot, or the time my daughter broke one elbow and sprained the other on a trampoline. I was no Mother Teresa then, either, but I did get my kids to the ER without too much panic so others could bandage them up.
Compassion isn’t something that comes natural to me. It’s something I’ve asked God to help me with. How?
- I pray for compassion. I’ve asked God to give me a tender heart.
- I seek to be empathic. I try to see the world through my kids’ eyes and pray for their unique needs. Even though their needs may seem small to me, I pray God will help me imagine being in the other person’s shoes
- I look to the “deeper” need. My child may not really need a band-aid, but he or she does need to be cuddled, cooed over, and cared for with tenderness.
Read the rest of my tips on Hope for the Weary Mom!
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