God, help me to see others not as enemies or as ungodly but rather as thirsty people. And give me the courage and compassion to offer your Living Water, which alone quenches deep thirst.
HENRI NOUWEN
HENRI NOUWEN
Henri Nouwen on compassionate
Henri Nouwen68 quotes“God, help me to see others not as enemies or as ungodly but rather as thirsty people. And give me the courage and compassion to offer your Living Water, which alone quenches deep thirst.”
More from Henri Nouwen
If you feel loved, you can do a thousand things. If you feel rejected, everything becomes a problem.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen Dear God, I am so afraid to open my clenched fists! Who will I be when I have nothing left to hold on to? Who will I be when I stand before you with empty hands? Please help me to gradually open my hands and to discover that I am not what I own, but what you want to give me.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen The great illusion of leadership is to think that man can be led out of the desert by someone who has never been there.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen Those who keep speaking about the sun while walking under a cloudy sky are messengers of hope, the true saints of our day.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen Hospitality is not to change people, but to offer them space where change can take place.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen Be surprised by joy, be surprised by the little flower that shows its beauty in the midst of a barren desert, and be surprised by the immense healing power that keeps bursting forth like springs of fresh water from the depth of our pain.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen The church is not an institution forcing us to follow rules but a community inviting us to still our hunger and thirst at its table.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen Joy is the experience of knowing that you are unconditionally loved.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen We need to be angels for each other, to give each other strength and consolation. Because only when we fully realize that the cup of life is not only a cup of sorrow but also a cup of joy will we be able to drink it.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief and bereavement, who can tolerate not knowing, not curing, not healing that is a friend who cares.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen Those we most love cause us not only great joy but also great pain. LOVE is stronger than fear, life stronger than death, hope stronger than despair. We have to trust that the risk of loving is always worth taking.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen Our humanity comes to its fullest bloom in giving. We become beautiful people when we give whatever we can give: a smile, a handshake, a kiss, an embrace, a word of love, a present, a part of our life…all of our life.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen We are all healers who can reach out and offer health, and we are all patients in constant need of help.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen Let’s not be afraid to look at everything that has brought us to where we are now and trust that we will soon see in it the guiding hand of a loving God.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen Hope means to keep living amid desperation and to keep humming in the darkness.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen The greatest trap in our life is not success, popularity or power, but self-rejection.
Henri NouwenHenri Nouwen
Original quotes
From our community writers
Someone rejected you does not mean you are not worthy. Maybe they can’t afford to be with you.
Jacklyn TysonJacklyn Tyson I will love you from afar it’s better this way because close up it hurts too much.
Melissa AndersonMelissa Anderson Maybe if you hold me tight, our love won’t be as shallow.
Mira R. AridiMira R. Aridi Sometimes a person is in peace & in the piece at the same time.
Jessica CollinsJessica Collins Between day and night there was a moment of silence.
Frode GaslandFrode Gasland But doesn’t it hurt to feel so much and pretend not to?
Brad NeatonBrad Neaton Admire your sweet way of glowing; your passionate way of flowing.
Ana SoulfulAna Soulful Darling, you are a warrior, for even though each day feels like a battle, you keep fighting and live on.
Sarah ShawkatSarah Shawkat
Meet the writers
More on compassionate
What if I told you everything was going to be okay – but what if in my own, soft heart, I really needed to hear it too?
Ullie KayeUllie Kaye Bullying is the use of force, threat, or coercion to abuse, intimidate, or aggressively impose domination over others. Help a friend.
Leonard NimoyLeonard Nimoy Speak to yourself like you would a child whom you love.
Ine GraceIne Grace Whatever you love more than God is your idol.
Dwight L. MoodyDwight L. Moody We are all human beings, part of the human race, and we need to be compassionate and giving and kind with one another.
Katherine HeiglKatherine Heigl The measure of a man is not how many servants he has but how many men he serves .
Dwight L. MoodyDwight L. Moody Those who are unkind to themselves will not appreciate your kindness. Do it anyway.
Alyce TaylorAlyce Taylor There is no such thing as a simple act of compassion or an inconsequential act of service. Everything we do for another person has infinite consequences.
Caroline MyssCaroline Myss