On Compassion, Tammy Faye Baker, & A Mouth Full of Razorblades

On Compassion, Tammy Faye Bakker, and A Mouth Full of Razorblades

The other night I had a very
interesting dream. I dreamt I had
returned to a church conference
arena that I had been to the
previous year.

I came into the reception area
and there were people milling
around. I suddenly felt something
sharp in my mouth and spit
out some sharp shards of razorblades.

They were just little bits and
pieces but they startled me as
I thought to myself "I thought
I had all the razorblades removed
from my mouth" :). I looked into
a folder and sure enough there
were large razor blades that had
been removed from me, but the ends
were broken off and the little
shards seemed to match these
ends.

I spit them all out and looked up
to see Tammy Faye Bakker, very
small and emaciated, dying from
cancer in the room. My heart went
out to her and I felt great compassion
rise up as soon as I had spit out
the last razor shard.

I went to her and she was so small,
like a child, and I patted my lap, and
said, “You poor dear, please come and
sit on my lap.” She came over and sat
on my lap and I tried to comfort her.

I could see people talking about what
was happening. There were two groups
of people, one group was glad that I
was comforting her and the other
group was very disapproving. All I could
feel was great compassion for her.

I could feel that I was sitting on
a swing with her and I began to
rock her like a baby. The feeling
of great comfort came upon us. And
I knew that my ability to do this
had come at the moment that I had
spit out the last razor shard.

The mouth is the hardest member
to tame, but it is also an
indicator of how soft our heart is.

We need to take an inventory
of our speech to see if it
contains any remaining razor
sharp pieces that are not
preventing an outpouring
of compassion.

It is so easy to judge others,
and easier still to talk about
them. Why is it not so easy to
instead show compassion and
to cover the shortcomings of
others with mercy?

When we speak hard things about
others, what is that saying
about the state of our heart?

I am out of the country as I
write this and am amazed to
find out that, unbeknownst to
me, Tammy Faye Baker died the
day I had this dream. How
eerie is that?

I have seen how much ridicule
is appearing around the news
of her death. I hope in some
small way my dream helped her.
I know it helped me think
about the fact that I want
God to remove any sharp shards
out of my mouth, and in doing
so, shower me with compassion
and comfort for people who
everyone else has thrown away as
undesirable.

We have to let God go deep
to change some things in us.
Its either that or remain the
same dangerous-mouthed and
hard-hearted kind of people that
Jesus takes issue with.

Lord, continue your work of mercy
and compassion in my heart and in
my mouth!

Christian dream interpretation
Tammy Faye Baker
mercy
compassion
television evangelists
the least of My brothers
the Christian life
the power of the tongue
gentle living