Compassion Fire: Birthing Purpose out of Pain

By Chavonda Thompson

Compassion Fire is about my seasons of journaling years with God.
• Seasons of mountaintops and valleys
• Lessons that could only be learned through faith and dependence in God

It’s in those valley seasons that we experience God and His presence at a deeper level than when on the mountaintops. I wouldn’t trade any of those experiences that I had for anything. Through these seasons I truly learned to trust God. My faith was strengthened, and I emerged out of the fire not consumed by it, but refined though not as silver, but as gold.
– Chavonda Thompson

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Sep 13, 2019
• ISBN: 9781973670209

Chavonda Thompson

Chavonda Thompson has a passion and a desire to help encourage and strengthen others to find and walk in their God given destiny. To inspire others to use their gifts and talents to influence the lives of others and to help advance the Kingdom of God. Chavonda enjoys spending time with her son Xavier and writing.

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Copyright © 2019 Chavonda Thompson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Editor

Linda Stubblefield, Affordable Christian Editing.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

ISBN: 978-1-9736-7019-3 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-7021-6 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-9736-7020-9 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2019910227

WestBow Press rev. date: 9/12/2019

Table of Contents

My Testimony

1 What Do You Have?

2 A Jehoshaphat Praise

3 Not the Scenic Route-A Wilderness Experience

4 In the Place of Gilgal-A Season of Transition

5 Do You Want to Get Well?

6 Don’t Come Down

7 A Season of Ziklag

8 The Ascended Place

A Prayer of Deliverance

A Prayer of Salvation

THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.

compassion. Merriam-Webster.com.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compassion (9 April 2019).

fire. Merriam-Webster.com.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fire (9 April 2019).

compassion. Webster’s Dictionary 1828.com.

http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/ compassion (9 April 2019).

fire. Webster’s Dictionary 1828.com.

http://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/fire (9 April 2019).

In Memoriam

In loving memory of my brother,

George (Lil George) Thompson, Jr.

May 14, 1983 – March 8, 2008

W ORDS CAN’T EXPRESS how much we all miss you and love you! This is not the end but only the beginning. We will see you again soon—in just a little while. To God be the glory!

Acknowledgments

I DEDICATE THIS BOOK to You, Lord. You are first and foremost in my life. Through it all, You have been the constant in my life. You’ve guided me every step of the way. You’re my everything! Thank You for trusting me with this task and for giving me the grace to complete it. I give You all the honor, praise, and glory for everything to which I place my hands. You bless it. This book is for Your glory!

To my parents, George and Gwen Thompson:

Words cannot express how much I love you both! I couldn’t ask for better parents. You both are my biggest supporters, mentors, and intercessors. Everything that I am and that I have learned has been because of what you have both modeled to my siblings and me. My life is a result of the sacrifices you both made for your children. Thank you, Daddy and Mama, for always believing in me. I LOVE YOU!

To my son Xavier (Zay):

You’re my heartbeat and my greatest inspiration. You’re the reason why quitting wasn’t an option. Everything I do is because of you! You are my greatest blessing—always have and always will be. Mama loves you, son!

To my sisters, Alishia and Evelyn:

I couldn’t ask for better sisters than you two. We are so much alike in many ways, but yet so different! That’s the beauty in having y’all as my sisters. We’ve shared so much of life together through thick and thin, through the rain and sunshine. We’ve been there for each other. I always look forward to our times of laughter together. I love y’all,

To my nieces and nephews:

I pray that you all will walk in the calling of God on your life at an early age and that you all will always be obedient to His leading. Your auntie loves y’all.

To my best friend-brother, Emmett Hathaway:

I can’t put into words how much you mean to me. You’ve been a friend to me and a tremendous blessing in my life. I hold dear the words you’ve ministered to me, your prayers and words of encouragement. Thank you, mighty man of God! This book is a result of all your prayers. Thank you for pushing me!

To Steven Jones:

Thank you for being a true friend to me. You’ve stood with me during some of the toughest and darkest times of my life. I am grateful and blessed to not only have you in my life, but to have you as a friend.

To DeAndre (Dre) Singletary:

Thank you for speaking this book out of me. I still remember meeting you for the very first time, and you prophesied about this book in me. That prophecy was four years ago, and the book has finally been birthed. Thank you for being a friend to me and for your obedience to God. Love you, brother.

To anyone else who held up my hands even for a moment while I wrote this book who I have failed to acknowledge, may I simply say thank you. I am grateful for every prayer, every phone call, and every word of encouragement sown into my life.

To God be the Glory!

Can we be touched by the hurt of humanity and not judge those who are hurting? Through a heart of compassion, we are able to help others to overcome that which we have overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony. We are overcomers.

Compassion

A mixed passion compounded of love and sorrow

A compassionate person has the ability to empathize with another’s pain and suffering. Jesus was moved with compassion and healed all who were sick and afflicted (Matthew 14:14).

Fire

(n.) flame or heat, a state or process.

(v.) to apply heat

In the Bible, fire represented God’s purity, presence and holiness. God appeared to Moses through a burning bush. The fire of God cleanses and purifies us. See I have refined you, though not as silver; I have tested you in the furnace of affliction (Isaiah 48:10).

Fire is a picture of the work of the Holy Spirit, the member of the Trinity who creates the passion of God in our hearts.

My Testimony

I WASN’T YOUR NORMAL every-day Sunday church goer. By that statement I mean my family primarily went to church during Easter and Christmas. However, I can still remember having to say Easter speeches for Easter at our family’s home church and how my mama always made our Easter outfits.

We grew up very poor, but we had each other. What mattered to us is that we were family. I had amazing, loving parents who unconditionally loved their children. My dad grew up in church and always talked with us about Jesus, sharing stories and talking about the Word of God. I have many memories of always seeing him praying. Even though I knew about Jesus from my parents and from times of being in church, I did not know Him personally for myself; I did not have a personal relationship with Him until I got saved at the age of 24.

Prior to my being saved, I was living a life of nightclubbing, drinking, and engaging in sexual relationships with a few drug dealers. This lifestyle led to my getting pregnant at 21 years of age and subsequently undergoing an abortion. Several years later, I met my son’s father and found myself pregnant at the age of 24. Being pregnant with my son Xavier was one of the best things that happened to me because I was forced to evaluate the life that I was living.

I knew my life was headed for destruction, but then I met a Savior named Jesus. I am not sure where my life would be right now if I had never surrendered my life to Jesus. From the path that my life was on, I know that I would probably be dead or serving real time in jail.

When I got saved, I truly got saved. I can still remember that day when I was at the altar and how I felt the presence of God and the love that He had for me. That love was so real to me that I cannot possibly explain in mere words. I knew in heart that my life was different from that point on; something radical had happened to me. I do not remember the date, but God knows. Who’s to say that I am not saved because I cannot remember the exact date. I do think knowing the date is good, but if you cannot remember the actual date, don’t allow anyone to disqualify you because of not knowing that date. Your salvation comes from God, not man, so how can a man decide whether or not you are truly saved. Salvation is through Jesus Christ alone. Period.

As I began to walk this journey with Christ, like anyone else, I experienced seasons of ups and downs. I realized that, through these seasons, my faith grew stronger as I learned more about His love, grace, mercy, compassion and how He wanted to use my story for His glory. Through our testimony we destroy the works of darkness and set the captives free. Through our testimony we are privileged to proclaim Jesus as the King of kings and Lord of lords. God has called me to be a deliverer because Jesus has delivered me to set free those who have been bound.

Isaiah 61:1-3, The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion—to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.

CHAPTER ONE

What Do You Have?

I Kings 17:15-16

As surely as the LORD your God lives, she replied, I don’t have any bread—only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it—and die. Elijah said to her, Don’t be afraid. Go home and do as you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son – I Kings 17:12-13.

T HE WIDOW WENT away and did as Elijah had instructed. As a result of her obedience, there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. Because this woman fulfilled Elijah’s request and in keeping with the word of the Lord spoken by Elijah, the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry.

The land had been suffering from a severe drought because it had not rained for several years. God commanded Elijah to leave and go to Zarephath where a widowed woman would now feed him (I Kings 17:7-9). This widowed woman and her son were on the verge of starving to death. All she had remaining was a handful of flour and a little olive oil in a jug—barely enough to make a last meal for herself and her son (I Kings 17:12). Theirs seemed to be a hopeless situation, but Elijah instructed her to make him a meal first (I Kings 17:13).

Because the woman obeyed the instruction from the prophet Elijah, what she had was multiplied. What she had in her hands was her seed, and this seed released her breakthrough. The woman needed a miracle, and she gave out of obedience. What she needed was connected to her act of obedience. In order to test our obedience, God will oftentimes issue us an instruction that makes little to no logical sense. Obeying God puts us in a place of favor and will cause favor to follow us. Psalm 5:12 says that favor will surround us as a shield.

During the season of famine and drought, her jar of flour was not used up and her jug of oil did not run dry (I Kings 17:16). The very miracle she needed was already in her hands. Her story teaches that one act of obedience can change our circumstances. When the Supplier is God, not only can He sustain us during seasons of lack or not enough, but He can also make a way where there seems to be no way (Isaiah 43:19).

God is no respecter of persons; He does not show favoritism (Romans 2:11). What He did for the widowed woman and her son He can do for you. God will also honor your obedience. What do you need from God? Do you need a financial breakthrough or do you need healing? Whatever the need is in your life, know that God can provide exactly like He did for that widow