Seeing life through the lense of compassion

I was sitting in church today and I was in awe of the people around me. I was struck with the thought that they had a lot going on in their lives but they were happy to be there. First I saw a family of 9 that sat in front of us. Both parents work and just had a new baby. All the girls hair was done so beautifully. I thought how do they handle 7 kids? I couldn't do that. In fact my daughter did her own pony tail and their was a big knot in her hair! So many amazing people and they probably don't know how special they are.

One lady whose husband died a few years ago says that she is not alone because she sleeps with Charlie (Charlie horse) and Arthur (Arthritis). Ha ha. She is one of the happiest ladies I know. It is such  an inspiration to me. Another older lady had a birthday today and was not thrilled because it meant she was getting older. I told her a birthday is a blessing because it is the day that you came into the world. She smiled with tears in her eyes and I felt so much love for her. Yet another individual suffers from Dementia and was brought to tears because she thought she saw a loved one who had passed. I keep thinking that I have to fit in with the younger woman in my ward who have kids the same age as me. I know they have their struggles too, but they are healthy and I feel like I have to keep up. I love it that we can talk about the kids and things we have in common. However, today my eyes were opened to how much I relate to these older woman. That may be because as far as my hormones are concerned I am a 55 year old woman. Just because I am limited in strength and energy does not mean I am limited in compassion and love. Just because someone looks well on the outside does not mean that they are "well". These woman are so brave and they have something to teach me. So many of these woman are alone most of the time, while I have my zoo to tend to. Today these woman felt like they were more like my grandma or sister.

Is this what the Savior meant when he said in 3 Nephi 17:7.....

"Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy."

Maybe I am going through all this to help someone? Maybe it is for one of my kids? It could be to help me develop charity. I don't know the why of it. I can surrender and not fear.It is so easy to get lost in your circumstances. You forget to look around as I did today, and see so many are struggling. Some of us can run through life. Others of us need to be pushed or we can only walk. Some of us are crawling on our knees just to make it. We can grow because of our limitations. Loving others does not take away the pain but it makes life worth the pain.