Love=Empathy
Love listening to this one practice his cello.
February 16-17For this Virginia lake living girl, winter allows for more times of soul searching and reflection than the faster people filled pace of summer. I've had some good thought provoking conversations with sisters in Christ about how vulnerability grows us closer together in relationship.
Vulnerable-"Being susceptible to physical or emotional attack." You know, putting yourself out there.
When we do that there are several possible responses, but I've been chewing on the difference between: sympathy and empathy
Sympathy-"Feelings of pity or sorrow."
Empathy-"The ability to understand and share the feelings of others."
Sympathy might hit "like" on a Facebook page or even type in "so sorry."
Empathy goes a little deeper. Maybe empathy types in a prayer, picks up the phone and says would you like to come over for a cup of coffee, or it takes a meal, baby sits, or scrubs your bathrooms. I think empathy enters in, like Jesus does.
We are called to be imitators of our heavenly Father. We are called to enter into painful situations.
"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children." Ephesians 5:1
Remember the story of feeding the five thousand? Jesus says to his twelve apostles:
"You give them something to eat." Luke 9:13
Domino's delivery, Kroger click list, nor UberEats were options. They entered into a faith story with the hungry people and all their lives were changed.
Where is God calling you to enter into someone else's life and empathize with them?
