Compassion doesn't mean taking care of people.
Feeling compassion for a friend in pain is a loving way to respond. It softens the harsh edges of reality for the sufferer as well as for ourselves. Trying to take away the pain, however, is not appropriate. Each of us is on a journey of experiences and opportunities that will help us grow and fulfill God's plan for our lives. What we learn from the difficult steps we have to take is part of the plan.
It's not always easy to draw the line between showing compassion and trying to solve a friend's problem. Some of us have made it a practice to intrude on other people's lives. Neither they nor we have been helped by it. Learning how to maintain healthy boundaries between ourselves and others is part of our journey today. Practicing this kind of compassion will give us growth.
I will show compassion today by maintaining healthy boundaries and not intruding on other people's lives.