STAFF TUESDAY

-Pastor Anthony Trask

A few days ago, while driving home with my daughter, I told her to never lose the compassion she has for every living thing.

She had heard of a family who was in crisis and that I was going over to see if I could help- She insisted that she come with me. She didn’t have a plan. She didn’t know what she was going to do once she got there. She just wanted to be a presence. So, I brought her with me, and she was just that- a presence, a caring, loving, compassionate presence.

On our way home, that’s when I commended her for her compassion. I told her that other people did not have the same kind of compassion that she has, and that it made her “special,” unique.

With this girl’s tenacious, black and white, justice-driven compassion, she wasn’t satisfied that I had just complimented her on this unique gift. She instead was indignant that others were not as compassionate as she was. She sees a world where everyone should be as compassionate as she is. So does God- this kind of compassion is His heart and His plan is for the whole earth to be enveloped in a Kingdom of compassion like this.

But as she was lamenting over the world’s lack of compassion, I reiterated to her that “this” is what makes her “special.” I told her that other people were special as well, passionate and gifted with things that she is not. I told her that this was her gift- mercy to be exact.

I told my daughter that this is how Jesus is building His Church- That He gives each member of His Body unique and special gifts, passions, and abilities. That, as a Body, we all depend on each other’s gifts, so that the whole Body can be built up, edified, and grow. I let her know that this is why it is so crucial for her to be a presence in the Church- because the Church needs her- and the world needs the Church! I told her that she needs her brothers and sisters in the Church because they make up for what she lacks.

Friends,

You are special, gifted, and have been given unique abilities that others have not- Not so you can be frustrated that others aren’t wired how you are, but so you can offer yourself to the Body as a whole and to those who lack in the areas you have in abundance.

Your brothers and sisters are also special, unique, gifted, and have abilities that you do not. Don’t be frustrated or annoyed by their passion and the ministries and areas of life they tend to focus on- Rejoice that God has made them and is using them to build up His Church! If they weren’t themselves, and conformed to whatever the Church thought was the most important gift or calling at the time, you would suffer- we all would suffer.

Just like the Church needs my daughter’s intense, justice-driven compassion, it needs what you have as well! What do you have that makes you “you,” that makes you “special?” Bring it!