Compassion

So, as I've been laid up with a bad back this week, I've been contemplating compassion.
Some of us have a natural tendency to be compassionate. We look at others with mercy and try to perceive them beyond our own understanding and feel their pain. Some of us, in varying degrees, do not so easily lean toward compassion. But, since God loves us and wants to answer our prayers to be more like Him, He so generously(?) allows circumstances in our lives that create compassion in us. As most of you would agree, I personally prefer the natural compassion route, but painful or difficult circumstances do broaden our perspectives on things.
For example, this last summer, my youngest daughter, Jetta, injured her back at a strength training summer camp. She struggled with months of pain, numerous doctor visits and tests as her strained back very slowly tried to heal. This week was the first time my back, an old injury from my house cleaning business days, has given me trouble since Jetta's accident. One day as I ooched and ouched my way down onto the couch, Jetta said to me, and this is a translation from teenagerese so insert random dudes and other vernaculars. "Mom, I feel your pain. Before, when your back hurt, I didn't understand as much as I do now. I'm sorry you are hurting so much."
Did my precious kind-hearted daughter have compassion before, yes, in a general sense. However, through her own trials and pains, a deeper empathy was birthed in her toward those who suffered with back pain. She has been so understanding and attentive to my needs this week that's it's almost brought me to tears at times.
So, as is ooch and eek my way through this week and the temptation to feel sorry for myself whines in my brain, I've been reminded of Jetta's words and gratitude has helped keep me from slipping off into depressionland, which is my usual reaction. Gratitude for an understanding teenage nursemaid. Gratitude for a loving Savior who didn't think it beneath himself to come to earth and become acquainted with suffering. Gratitude that God doesn't allow me to continue in the destructive depressive behavior of mental abuse, because my back would be less likely to go out if I exercised and carried less weight, by teaching me to be grateful instead. And gratitude for the opportunity to view my unfortunate predicament as chance to become all the more compassionate toward others in similar circumstances.

It's all in how we choose to see things. Will you choose a whiny self-absorbed perspective that hobbles your spiritual growth or will you choose to look beyond your present discomfort and find gratitude for this opportunity to grow?