Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Compassion

For the last two months the ladies at my church have been participating and reviewing Matthew West's new small group Bible study The Story of Your Life.  It has been phenomenal and has really caused each of us to grow.  My projects this week are a direct response to one of the study directives of chapter 3 concerning compassion.  (You can look for a review of the Bible Study in the near future, but seriously, consider doing the study when it becomes available in August!)

If you have been listening to contemporary Christian music for any length of time then you have probably heard Matthew West's song "My Own Little World".  that is what this chapter in the study was about.  "What if there's a bigger picture?  What if there's a greater purpose?" and we looked at what compassion really is, being willing to reach out to others, to suffer with them.  Our assignment for the week was to choose a specific compassion project for ourselves.

Crocheting and knitting for charity isn't a new project for me.  Those of you who have been following this blog remember the projects I made during Lent, and the many posts concerning God's Tiny Angels.  What I was reminded of during this part of the Bible study is that compassion "is not just an emotional response.  it is a choice."  I had to recognize that I needed to be intentional about compassion and not just create when I felt like it or because it was a time for compassion.  I realized that I had let helping others slip farther down my to do list until it sometimes dropped off completely.  Not a proud moment for me.  So my compassion project this past week was to create 3 items to be donated.
The Knot Hard to Do! Baby Bootie designed by Salena Baca

 The Mini Moogly Sweater by Tamara Kelly

and the Ripple Baby Gown by Peggy S Besco & Jessica Esterly
with a butterfly motif designed by Chie O'Briant

I am committing today to make at least 1 item every week for donation.  "If we can have a positive impact on even one life we are doing the kind of work that Jesus did." ~Matthew West.  I want to be able to say I am doing that!  Won't you join me?  Please comment below and tell me what you commit to do to positively impact people in your own little world.

Until next time,