On Thursday nights, prayer meeting was held at the church. I sat beside my mother, or knelt beside her on the hard wooden floor as she and others prayed. During these prayer meetings I was exposed to great depths in the hearts of Mama and our neighbor ladies – pangs of anguish, burdens for others – passions I hadn’t imagined could possibly exist in their common lives. Through my observations, the Lord began to develop a sense of compassion within me – understanding and empathy for others. And years later, I became the recipient of that compassion from others.