A Story of How God Showed Me Compassion

By Kellye Carmack

Last night while studying Scripture with other women I was convicted of a particular sin. It was one of those “ugly branches that needed cutting down” as Cara talked about in her post this week about autumn. It was both hard and good. We studied the passage from John 9 where Jesus healed the man who was blind from birth. As our teacher walked us through the story, I saw the deep compassion of Christ and my poor reflection of it. I became aware of an attitude that had taken residence in my heart and that I have been slow to put to death. There was no room to dismiss the guilt or excuse my sin. God’s word had tilled the soil of my heart and I weighed the unearthed brokenness in my hands. 

Today I have marveled at the way God brought the sin to my attention. It didn’t come as a slap in the face or in harsh condemnation, as I sometimes expect. Instead, it was a slow and gentle unveiling of my wrongs by showing me the person of Christ. Though I felt the vulnerability of my exposed sin and His ever present gaze, I was just as aware of His unwavering love for me. The same One who washed me with His word with one hand, held me securely in the other. It was His kindness, not anger, that led to repentance (Romans 2:4). 

The more time I spend with God, the more I see His demeanor of compassion. It is hard to see Him as He truly is in this broken world where sin has skewed our view. We are much like the man who was blind from birth, unable to fully see the extent of His love and grace. The compassion that Jesus showed the man is a reflection of what is offered to each of us. In His response to my sin, God allowed me to see His compassion with more clarity and I know there is much more to see. Now, we see Him dimly, but someday we will see Him face to face and know the fullness of His solid grace.