I HAVE ALWAYS CHERISHED THIS OLD FRENCH PROVERB, this sweet reminder of God's tender presence: "God tempers the wind to the shorn lamb." And I treasure this verse not because I think God is involved in the minutiae of daily life (to the point of making sure a little lamb isn't caught in the wind), but because those words assure me that the nature of God—of infinite, divine Love—is to be love, everywhere, always.
And in a practical way, I ask myself, As God's image and likeness, how can I also express that "tender presence" in my daily life? What is it that moves us to temper the wind for others? How about compassion? Isn't that what prompts us to feel and show tenderness for our brothers and sisters? What, really, is this quality? Well, let's look at what compassion is not: it isn't empathizing or even sympathizing with pain or sorrow, nor is it expressing helpless pity for another's plight. Rather, compassion is the quality that impels us to shelter and to care, to bless and to heal.
In the Bible, the Psalmist speaks often of this wonderful quality, reminding us, "The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all: and his tender mercies are over all his works" (Ps. 145:8, 9). And again, "Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth" (Ps. 86:15).
