A Lord of Compassion

Some time ago a friend in Sunday school class sent me a note with the following verse,

Lamentations 3:21-24

This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “ The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “ Therefore I hope in Him!”

I have needed that verse often over the past several months--when I have faced one challenge after another. What a joy to know "they are new every morning!"

Here I want to share just one of the many compassions of the Lord that I have experienced recently. He always knows how much difficulty He can give to refine me and when it is enough... The past two days I was in tears several times as a result of months of little sleep, a cranky baby, and other relatively minor stresses in life. I was feeling depressed about future months of a baby who wakes several times at night. (after all, he has gotten 7-10 hours of sleep already when he wakes up) The Lord has such compassion. He knew I was at the breaking point and He blessed me with a baby who slept last night from 6:30-5:30 am (only briefly waking once at 1:00 without feeding him). And even more unheard of, who went back to sleep with me this morning until 7:30! While I am quite prepared for this not to be a regular occurence, I am also well aware that it was purely the Lord's mercy and compassion that granted me this great night of sleep! I want to declare this as a testimony of God's love and compassion for all of us when He sees our human weakness and grants us at least momentary peace in the midst of trials.