Empathy Doesn’t Discriminate
Gusty winds blow snow-like clouds through the frigid winter air outside my kitchen bay window. Trees are blanketed with fresh piles of fluffy white snow, yet birds continue singing the promises of Spring. We are in the midst of a late February blizzard, and I am honestly loving having our kids home for the second day in a row. We have had friends here to play (because that is what we do on snow days in MN) and sleepovers! These are the greatest memory-making moments of Winter. The aroma of homemade comfort food fills the air, and we celebrate by declaring pajama parties each day.
Blizzard Snow Days!
With snow as deep as the top step on our deck, I briefly attempted to shovel a path for our dog. She quickly proved that she will create her own path!
The snow in our yard is as deep as our dog, Maple, is tall. She bounds through the snow with her head reaching just above the top layer and creates what we refer to as her interstate system through the yard. Watching her attempt to run through this snow is both entertaining and satisfying. If we must endure the looooooong Minnesota winters we deserve a blizzard or two to enjoy.
Sometimes we find ourselves in a season of life that feels like perpetual winter. Or, maybe we are in the midst of our own blizzard of emotions. Greif, pain, and tragedy bring a heartache that can only be truly soothed by the one true God who loves us dearly. Through my own trials, I have discovered that enduring seasons of pain and grief allow us to gain a different perspective and develop true empathy for our fellow humans. Empathy allows us to feel the pain alongside our hurting friends. When we turn to Jesus and trust Him to bring the healing we long for, oftentimes that comes through our deepest friendships and our circle of people. We are created for community so we do not have to endure the blizzards alone. Sometimes we simply need to let people in. Allow them space to spill their messy emotions, and love on them with a listening ear.
“Choose empathy, choose understanding, and it destroys the assumption that different means we have nothing in common. In its place, it rebuilds what has always been far truer: there is more that bonds us than breaks us.”
The most challenging part of empathy for me is not saying anything when words are not necessary. Silence is healing as much as offering the “right” advice. I am working on this. If you know me, you know that I have a lot of words. Every. Single. Day. Empathy is waiting for you when you need it, and I pray that as you come across people in need of empathy you would feel a nudge to lend an ear. If you are the one in need of empathy, take the offer of a trusted friend and share your heartache. Let God sit in those moments with you. He alone is our ultimate healer.
Empathy does not discriminate!
“He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.”
