I am dust, and so is everyone else

13 As a father shows compassion for his children,
So the Lord shows compassion for those who fear Him.
14 For He knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

Psalms 103:13-14

I am not a parent. The closest thing I've ever felt to worrying about my child is worrying about my students. I'm sure it's not nearly as close as I would feel about my own kid, but whenever I see my students hurt or worried it PAINS me. And don't get me wrong, my students are far from perfect, and honestly sometimes they deserve what they are getting, because it's a consequence for their acts, yet i still feel compassion  for them. It's difficult for me to think that God feels the same way about me. I sometimes believe that he expects perfection from me since I should know better and all the tools I need to live a Christian life are found in the Bible. But since He is my father, he actually KNOWS me. He knows me beyond the mask that I put on. The fact that he knows and still decides to have compassion for me sets a standar for me as a daughter and follower. I can't go around not giving the same grace to other people that was given to me, even though it's hard. It's hard cause people eventually catch on, they take advantage because they know that my response will probably be humbleness. And it is a victory for it to be, because it's hard and it's displeasing to my flesh and to my pride. But God has been faithfully teaching me His ways. I guess what's hard of all the process of someone doing wrong to me now is not staying silent and not defending myself and trusting God will one day, but the aftermath. Sure, I say I forgive, but it's very hard for me to have compassion for them after that. It's hard for me to see them feel the pain I felt and giving them grace. Why would I ? They constantly inflict that pain to me. 

But then again... why would God?

He doesn't just forgive me and leaves it like that, He still seeks a relationship with me AND feels compassion when wrong comes my way even when it's deserved. 

It's different with my students though. Oh, it's SO different. Those kids can't do anything to convince me to stop loving them. I've been wronged by them, for sure. I have very bitter 6th graders that just say unnecessary comments or just throw threats towards me because they can. But I can't stay mad at them. I know their home situation, I know their education situation, I know their anger situation

I know their situation

I know their condition

I know their frame

See, what God is teaching me is that giving other people grace is hard for me because I don't see their frame. I don't want to remember they are dust. I don't want to remember they are human. I don't want to remember they  are sinners that need forgiveness just like me. 

It's easy to have compassion for someone you know has been having it rough all their life. It's hard though to do it with someone that you know nothing about, or worse, you know A LOT about and know they have no excuse to behave like they are. But God is not calling me to do that, he is not calling me to judge who is fit for grace and who isn't. He is calling me to just forgive and have compassion, because just like me, they are dust. They were created form dust and will go back to dust. They are susceptible to sin and are tempted constantly. They've fallen. They hurt. And they need a loving Father and savior. 

So that's my prayer. That I would become more like Him. And that I would remember my offenders frame, just like Jesus remembers mine.