Gentleness and Compassion

Tiny flowers gently unfold in the early morning light.

Snapshot taken at Camp John Hay, Baguio City
June 29, 2011, 6:06 a.m.

A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.

- Isaiah 42:3





“Come to Me,
all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest.
Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me,
for I am gentle and humble in heart,
and you will find rest for your souls.
For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

- Matthew 11:28-30





But the fruit of the Spirit is love,
joy,
peace,
forbearance,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness
and self-control.

- Galatians 5:22, 23





Do not let your adornment be merely outward—
arranging the hair,
wearing gold,
or putting on fine apparel —
rather let it be the hidden person of the heart,
with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit,
which is very precious in the sight of God.

- 1 Peter 3:3, 4





Instead, be kind to each other,
tenderhearted,
forgiving one another,
just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

- Ephesians 4:32





A gentle answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.

- Proverbs 15:1





A gentle tongue is a tree of life...

- Proverbs 15:4





Let your gentleness be evident to all.
The Lord is near.

- Philippians 4:5





The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.

- Isaiah 58:11

1 Kings 19:9-12
And there he [Elijah] went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

So he said, “I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken Your covenant, torn down Your altars, and killed Your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”

Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the LORD.”

And behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

These past days the word gentle has been very much on my heart.

Morning after morning I would awaken with a different Scripture passage on my heart, and each one of them had something to say about gentleness.

I have posted some of these Bible verses above.

Yes, I have been thinking a lot about being gentle these days.

It's been more than a month since I arrived in Manila. The first few days of July were warm and sunny at daytime, cool and misty during the night.

Really beautiful weather.

The leaky roof over our sun room has been temporarily repaired, waiting for the dry season to begin, so a more permanent job can be done on it.

I've been enjoying my days here, having no set agenda to follow.

Two Sundays ago, we had lunch with Worshiper and Chosen One who were in Manila to celebrate Chosen One's 30th birthday. This was the first time my sister Luli was seeing her grand nephew Elijah, so the meeting was quite special.

Elijah was somewhat overwhelmed at the fuss he was showered with, and he was a bit wary the whole time. Nevertheless, all of us had an enjoyable time together.

Chosen One with her mom, Madorra, and baby Elijah

Elijah, clinging to his Mama

Elijah with grand aunt Luli

Elijah, feeling safe and secure in Papa's arms

Last Wednesday, Rosemarie invited me to her home for the weekly devotional meeting with some of her business friends. Our friend Beulah Badua gave an excellent teaching on Israel and the endtimes. Her teaching, well-documented with world news and related Biblical passages, deepened my resolve to stand with Israel in this difficult hour.

It was good to spend some time with Beulah whom I hadn't seen in four years! I can never forget that it was this dear friend of mine who awakened in my heart a love for Israel in 2000 when I met her for the first time during the Intercessors for the Philippines National Prayer Gathering.

For lunch, Rosemarie served us fresh pineapple, kimchi rice and Korean beef stew... one of the best meals I have ever had in a long time.

That afternoon, my friend Tina and I met at Benny's Cafe in Rustan's, Makati. We had a snack of angel hair pasta with aglio olio and wild mushrooms sauce.



It seems that time moves too fast when we are with friends. After the last sip of coffee, we quickly said good-bye to each other for I had to be on the train before 5:00 p.m. to beat the after office rush!

Last Saturday, my cousins Tony and Vic invited us to have lunch with them. They are second cousins on my father's side; the last time I was with them was more than thirty years ago. Since my sister Luli is in Manila for a few weeks, they took the opportunity for us to eat a meal together and get to meet their wives as well.

I can't believe how warm and friendly the conversation was around the table, considering that this was the first time we were reconnecting after thirty years, and we had never met their wives before!

Enjoying Turkish apple tea after our delicious meal

Seated around the table L-R:
Clare (Vic's wife), me, Obedient One, Nanette (Tony's wife)
Standing L-R: Vic, my sister Luli, Tony

There was an exchange of stories, and of course, how many events can you talk about within an hour and half?

Not much. But this brief time together warmed my heart immensely.

Front row L-R: me, my sister Luli, Tony
Back row L-R: Clare, Nanette, Vic

Afterward, my daughter Obedient One and I went to the SM Mall on North Avenue to have her portable computer repaired. Her laptop was infected with a virus and she lost all her files. After a few hours, it was reformatted and all the programs she needed were installed on it. It was as good as new.

Despite the heavy downpour that afternoon we reached the nearby Tri-noma mall without getting wet since most malls here in Manila are connected by covered walkways. After grabbing something to eat, we headed for home.

Yesterday, Sunday, Obedient One and I attended the 11:00 o'clock a.m. worship service at Victory Church located at the University of the Philippines Quezon City campus. From church, we again went to the computer shop to have additional programs installed on her laptop. We had lunch at Recipes, a restaurant that serves delicious Filipino dishes prepared in a non-traditional way.

We also took time to look at some of the shops. Mango, our favorite ladies' boutique, was having an end of season sale, and clothes were selling at half the original price. Several blouses caught my fancy, but in the end, I decided to buy only one, a sleeveless white cotton top that will go well with jeans.

It was such an enjoyable afternoon with my daughter. We talked about a lot of things like we always do.

She spoke about some of her friends at work who are neck deep in debt... an officemate who seems to have become a slave working hard for money.

"I feel sorry for them," Obedient One said.

I agreed with her. "Yes, look at them with compassion and understanding. If you try to understand a person, you will be less inclined to be critical."

Before going home, my daughter and I stopped at Starbucks for a hot cafe latte, perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon.

While having coffee, Obedient One said something that just melted my heart. She said, "Mama, I have realized that I do not like to eat expensive meals at expensive restaurants anymore."

My daughter has never been the kind who overspends, in the first place. She is a careful spender and never buys anything on credit. Whenever she uses her credit card, she pays it off at the earliest opportunity available to her.

So her words did not really come as a surprise to me.

But it was the reason she gave that touched me deeply. "I have been around Manila a long time, and I see so many poor people in the midst of the affluence in this city. My heart breaks for them, and I just wish there was a way to really help."

I know what she is talking about. There is so much poverty in the midst of the corruption and greed.

They need more than just food, clothing and shelter.

Nothing is ever enough, until the hunger of their souls is fed.

People do not know it, but in grasping for materials things, there is a deeper hunger that is longing to be assuaged.

True poverty is not physical, it is spiritual.

God wants to feed the hunger of our hearts in a way that He alone knows.

And though He has made the provision, nevertheless He doesn't force His way on us.

He waits, and gives us the freedom to choose!



Gentleness.

It has been God's word for me the past two weeks.

Compassion... kindness... humility.

Not insisting on our rights... or on having our own way.

Giving honor, being considerate, having a servant heart.

Not talking too much, but rather, being willing not to be heard.

Yes, there are things that are better left unsaid.

Simplicity is beauty.


God has been gently and tenderly speaking to my heart:

You don't need to draw attention to yourself. I am hiding you in the cleft of the rock. My Rock.

It is okay to have some dreams unfulfilled, and some needs unmet.

You don't always have to give voice to an opinion.

Let your gentleness be seen by all... I am near.

The beauty of your heart is not hidden from Me.

How beautiful the words that come from a quiet heart, falling softly like the gentle rain, softening the earth, giving life, giving hope.

I am gentle and kind... keep learning from Me.

Don't assume burdens you were never designed to carry. Trust Me with your burdens.

Let nothing be done in haste. I, your God, am never in a hurry. Your times are in my hands. Walk in step with Me.

A gentle heart is a heart that trusts Me.



I am taking these words to heart. These are words I have heard spoken to my spirit many times before.

But each time God takes time to speak to me about this beautiful character trait, I feel strengthened, refreshed, and renewed.

I hold your seasons in My hands.

This was so comforting, and so reassuring to me.

In a time of weakness, Elijah heard the word of the Lord spoken to him, not in a powerful earthquake, but in a gentle whisper... a still, small voice.

Gentleness is indeed a spiritual fruit that I want growing in my heart.

Gentleness is never self-important but is considerate, courteous, and modest, yet willing to try when a job needs to be done. In The Full Life Study Bible it is defined as restraint coupled with strength and courage.

Aristotle gave its classic definition as halfway between excessive anger and indifference. That is, he felt the gentle person could be angry at the right time and submissive at the right time. The classical Greek also used it of animals that were powerful, yet tamed and under control.

My Greek lexicon includes the meanings of humility, courtesy, and considerateness.

The Interpreter’s Bible says it is the opposite of hubris, the Greek word for haughty, boastful insolence.

To try to understand gentleness further, let us go through the passages in the Bible where the Greek word prautes is used.

In the Old Testament the Septuagint uses it once in Psalm 45:4. The Psalmist calls on God:

“Gird thy sword upon thy thigh,O most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth and gentleness and righteousness.”

- Psalm 45:3,4

Obviously, gentleness is not weakness.

It is not allowing yourself to become a doormat.

It is part of God’s character as He moves triumphantly in mighty power and victory.

Taken from: Gentleness - Meekness by Stanley M. Horton

Thank You, dear Father, for the events of the past days. You have shown me gentleness. Thank You for the love of family, and friends. Thank You for the gentle showers of kindness, compassion, and understanding.

Thank You for speaking to me so clearly.

Yes, dear Father. I want to learn from You.

Speak Lord, for I am listening.