Hannah loves looking at the crowds

Hannah, our 11 year old daughter often tells me how much she loves looking out from the balcony at the people walking by. She says it reminds her of the reason she is here... the people.
It reminds me of Jesus in Matthew 9 vs 36 where it says "when he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them". Often in life we need to look at the crowds around us, and as we look we catch a glimpse of the individuals in the crowds and a glimpse of their story. It is then as we pause to look and see people going about life, something begins to happen in our hearts... we develop compassion and it is this compassion that is the seedbed of love. Compassionate love is the motivation for sacrifice, and sacrifice rooted in this love brings about change.
I am thankful that God looked upon the world, saw the crowds, looked at individuals like me in the crowds and as a result  developed compassion, which resulted in the loving sacrifice of his son, Jesus.