Wonderful Counselor

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope. Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.” Lamentations 3:19-22, NIV

“I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all – oh, how well I remember – the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there’s one thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: God’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up.” Lamentations 3:19-22, The Message

Would you consider yourself a compassionate person? Think about it for a minute before you read on. The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines compassion as “sympathetic consciousness of other’ distress together with a desire to alleviate it.” In order to have true compassion not only must we recognize a person’s pain and suffering but we must be motivated to act on trying to end that pain and suffering. I would have said yes to the question upon hearing it. I care deeply for people and do not want to see anyone suffer. However, when I read the definition and really think about it, I need to admit that I often fall short when it comes to showing compassion. Although we humans may not always be compassionate, Lamentations 3: 21-23 reminds us that God is always compassionate and because of that compassion we can have hope. And hope can be life saving.

I was speaking with a friend recently who felt as though she hit “rock bottom”. She has been suffering from anxiety and depression for years and didn’t want to continue living like that. And yes, she has been seeing a counselor regularly for a couple of years. But just because someone has talked with a counselor or therapist many times doesn’t mean they have gotten to the root of the problem. It takes a certain level of trust, confidence and comfort with someone to be able to really let your walls down, become exposed and vulnerable, needing to rely on someone else to teach you how to walk on your own again. It’s scary stuff. My friend would say just enough to her counselor but never allowed herself to talk about the root of the pain. Until recently. She finally realized she needed to be truly authentic and open if she was really going to get the help she needed. So she poured her heart out. Thankfully, her counselor was and continues to be compassionate. He allowed her a safe place to share and he listened. And now that she has emptied herself of all those negative feelings he is now able to work with her, guide her, help her build herself up and she has hope for a happier future.

I am so happy my friend has a good counselor and I know he is helping her. But she also has another, even better counselor. We all do. His name is God (“And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6b). God sees and knows our pain and suffering without even having to tell Him. He understands what we are feeling and that we often have trouble letting go of our past. He yearns for us to bring these things to Him in prayer, put our trust in Him and ask for His help. When we do, we open ourselves up to receiving His compassion, grace and forgiveness. God alone has the power to fully restore us. He has the strength to carry us when we feel broken and weak. His love is stronger than our worry, grief, and shame. And when we know this, we have hope for a better tomorrow. We have something to live for. God’s compassion saves.

We will not be given the name Wonderful Counselor like God, but we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus here on earth. And in by doing so, we, like my friend’s counselor, can show compassion by listening, caring and acting. The other day I had reached out to someone I thought could use some help. She replied with a request and I delivered. It was an easy request and I was happy to do it. In her thank you note she wrote “Thanks for asking what we needed and then acting on it. Such is the Spirit of our God.” We need to remember that compassion is more than just listening and saying we care. We must act. I will continue to try.

Dear God, Thank you for your love and compassion. I know I have made mistakes, dwelled in my suffering and pain, and felt as though I had hit the bottom. But because of your grace, forgiveness and healing power I have hope. Help me to show compassion towards others who need to know they are loved and cared for. I pray that I can be an example of your love. I love you. Amen.

Love, Melissa