compassion
For some reason, my skin has decided to grow things on this trip...and not just one variety, but several. Bites, rashes, hives, fungus...you name it. Maybe this is too much information for you, but it's the reality of my experience and the setup for a sweet encounter with God's lavish compassion.With more spots popping up, they decided I should go to the doctor. Not just any doctor, but one who works at a clinic just one neighborhood away who services the area for free. And he's good, really good at what he does. Not only this, but he grew up as a Compassion child.
At a young age, his parents were not a part of his life so his grandmother raised him...but needed help. Later on, he studied in Florida and finished medical school in the Dominican. Rather than working at a more affluent practice, he chose to serve in the public health system where he sees well over 1,000 patients a month and makes a very modest salary. The day we went in, he'd spent the night at the office because he had so much charting to catch up on.
Why does he serve the communities he does at a free clinic? Because he remembers where he came from. Growing up without electricity in a poor barrio, he said he couldn't forget his past but was compelled to serve the least. "Besides," he said with a typical chill shoulder shrug, "what would I do with a lot of money anyway?"
He began asking what our group does, so we shared a bit. Meanwhile, I'm thinking how insignificant it sounds compared to the daily sacrifice and investment he makes. Then my paradigm was challenged...He said, "Thank you." He said thank you...to us and our group.
As a child, a group coming in each year was something he looked forward to that truly changed his young life and enabled him to be where he is now...serving daily. A multiplied compassion. Blessing upon blessing.I think in an effort to come humbly and not be another egocentric group of Americans doing more harm than good, I have downplayed the impact that a faithful compassion shown year after year can have on a soul. I was shocked at his thanks. They were hard to swallow, but I willed to receive them.
Still my heart aches when I think of how he and his family serve day in and day out. The depth and breadth of their service so significant.And yet, isn't that what the Body of Christ is supposed to do? To look on in sheer awe at how the Lord is using the other members of the body. To be caught in wonder and praise and thanks for each other and how we display His love."from whom [Christ] the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love." ~ Ephesians 4:16So today, he introduced us to the barrio there by the clinic and we walked around. Many are his patients, all know him. And maybe, we too will get to know them in future years...