genuine compassion.
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The past three months have changed me.
I’m sure they have changed you, too.
If not, maybe we aren’t living on the same planet.
When COVID-19 hit, my world was flipped upside down.
I wondered if Written to Speak would survive.
I wondered if I would need to get a new job.
I wondered if we would have to sell our house.
I wondered if we would be able to maintain and hold on to the life we had created.
I wondered if we would have to give Pancake back.
I wondered many things.
And some of those things continue to keep me up at night.
But I am learning to trust.
And I am learning to admit I need help.
And I am learning again and again that God is still very much in control.
I am learning.
And I am continuing to learn.
In the past few weeks America has been put on center stage with the murders of several black Americans.
George Floyd.
Breonna Taylor.
Ahmaud Arbery.
And many more.
Black Lives Matter has been written, read, shared, and chanted more times in the past few weeks than ever before.
And for good reason.
To be honest, as the protests began and the news headlines grew louder I became more and more uncomfortable.
This conversation has led me to feel guilty, prideful, wrong, and sinful.
And that’s a good thing.
A hard thing.
But a good thing.
It’s as though a brother has come to me and shown me how I have been wrong.
And I do not like to be wrong (and I am often wrong).
And I do not like to hurt others (and I often hurt others)..
And I do not like to feel guilty (yep.).
But this is what I have needed.
The other night two words continued to roll around in my mind:
Genuine compassion.
These two words have become my prayer..
I want to live a life of genuine compassion.
I want to love my neighbors with genuine compassion.
I want to spread genuine compassion.
I want to join the hurting and oppressed with genuine compassion.
I want to receive criticism and fault with genuine compassion.
And I want this genuine compassion to move me, lead me, and guide me.
And when I think of genuine compassion, I cannot help but think of Jesus.
How he loved.
How he taught.
How he cared.
How he listened.
How he lived.
How he forgave.
Genuine compassion.
These days, so much is changing and I believe that’s a good thing.
Sometimes you have to cut back to grow.
Sometimes you have to say “I don’t know” to learn.
Sometimes you have to say “I have been wrong. Please forgive me.” in order to move forward.
I have been changed by these past three months.
And I hope the change remains.
And this isn’t the end.
I’m sure something else will rock our world in the year 2020.
But whatever comes and whatever happens, may we hold tight to the words
genuine compassion.
.. .. ..
With hope,
Tanner Olson
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WTS
Tanner Olson is a writer, speaker, poet, spoken-word artist, & creator of Written to Speak.
He created Written to Speak to share hope & announce love.