Compassion

I love this quote by President Hinckley: “Let us be more merciful. Let us get the arrogance out of our lives, the conceit, the egotism. Let us be more compassionate, gentler, filled with forbearance and patience and a greater measure of respect one for another. In so doing, our very example will cause others to be more merciful, and we shall have greater claim upon the mercy of God who in His love will be generous toward us.” Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, May 1990, 68

This quote came to my mind today when I spoke with a receptionist who was trying to schedule an urgent doctors appointment for me. I guess I sounded a little tired and defeated when she told me that it would be at least a week before there was an opening for a procedure I need. I thanked her anyway for her time and accepted the date she offered. There was a pause on her end and she said; "You know...I bet if I call the doctor directly, they can work something out...don't you worry." Lo and behold, she worked a miracle on my behalf. She even stayed on the line with the doctor to make sure I was taken care of. I was humbled by her compassion and more humbled to meet a daughter of God who went the extra mile. I have had the experience of receiving poor customer service many times. Never has it worked well to be confrontational with the customer service rep. I've never felt good about myself "when I've been goaded into responding "in kind." A great experiment is to try for a week to respond to each person you meet in a Christlike manner. Try and remove the "rush" in your voice, slow down, smile, and express gratitude for their assistance. I promise it will be a profound experience. You will find yourself relaxing and more in control of life's challenges.