em·pa·thy [em-puh-thee] noun 1.the identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings, thoughts, or attitudes of another.
Recently, I had to share some news with one of my sweet boys that I knew was going to be tough for him to hear. Now before you think that I am being dramatic for the sake of this post, let me clarify that this was not petty news that might typically disappoint a child causing momentary tears that are soon forgotten by a distraction. This was news that was going to hurt his heart. Of course, being his mother and knowing that
I would be the bearer of bad news to my son, pierced my heart no-less than if I had an actual knife sticking straight though me. I felt the heaviness of the situation even before I had to speak the words that I knew would bring hurt to this child that is so precious to me.
The moment of truth arrived. I don't use that phrase that flippantly--it was really a moment of truth...this was nothing that I could tip-toe around or "sand which" with positive comments. It was just a moment when all I could do was state truth and the reality of the situation. His reaction was everything that I anticipated it to be, and as, honestly, it should have been. It was sad. It was disappointing. It was hurtful. He had every right to feel the way he did...
As he cried... I’m certain my heart broke more with every tear he shed. There was nothing that I could do but simply comfort my child. I just sat and rubbed his back as his tears fell down his round cheeks. There was nothing that I could have said to make it better, there was nothing I could do to erase his disappointment, I could not change the situation. I'm pretty sure it was one of the saddest moments since I have become a mother: because there was little, if nothing I could do to shield my child from these inevitable wounds...all I could do is to be there in the aftermath to try to salve his wounds. Comfort the pain that I could not protect him from.
All truth be told, it was a moment in our lives where depravity reared, struck and injured my child. I'm probably like any other parent out there, and got caught up in blaming myself, wondering the question, "Is this my fault? Did I somehow cause this to happen to my child?” The Lord so boldly answered that question for me with a firm, "No.” And instead, had a moment of truth with
me reminding me that the root of all of this was because of a very corrupt world filled with sin that burns like wildfire leaving ashes in it's ruin: total depravity at work.
I have thought so deeply about this over the past few weeks, and the other night the Holy Spirit began to speak into the situation and began to give me a word that has stretched my understanding of the eminence love God has for us. The word that kept popping into my heart was: Empathy.
As God continued to stir my spirit and work through my emotion, I realized that God was opening my eyes just a little bit further to the magnitude of Who He is. He was using the pain and love that I felt as a mother to show me on a much, much greater scale of His infinite love for us, and our ultimate rescue from the brokenness of this life.
Because we are born into sin, we habitually chose to bring troubles and heartache on to ourselves by our own corrupt choices. But then there are also times that we are caught in the cross hairs of evil, much like my sweet boy who did nothing to deserve the wounds inflicted...we might not have done anything to cause some of the wounds we suffer, but non-the-less we bear the scars.
We can, just like I did with myself, get caught up in a cycle of blame...maybe even placing it on God, Himself. "This is God’s fault. Why didn't He stop this?" But I am so confident that in our wrestling with sorrow, we forget that His heart is aching right along with ours...just as mine was hurting for my child's. I know watching my son hurt was heart wrenching for me, and I would have traded places with him and felt all that pain so he wouldn't have to suffer. If I could have I would have rescued him in a heartbeat.
Do you see, sweet friend, that is just what God did through Jesus Christ. God rescued us in a heartbeat...the heartbeat of
His Son. He sent Jesus to trade places with us so we would not have to suffer.
“For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him with not perish but have eternal life. God sent His Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through Him.” (John 3:16-17)
God’s Son, His Child, who knew no blame, no sin, no fault, took the injustices of this world so that as we experience the temporary pain and brokenness of this world, we can know Hope. Because of Jesus, Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can,
“…come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Because of God’s love for us, the wounds that come because of sin, do not have to fester and infect.
They can be healed.
“…it was our weaknesses He carried; it was our sorrows that weighed Him down...He was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so that we could be whole. He was whipped so that we could be healed.” (Isaiah 53:4, 5).
God knew that because sin entered this world, we would experience many troubles and unavoidable hurts. And when depravity rises, strikes and wounds us...God hurts with us, grieves with us, comforts us, mourns with us...all while whispering His perfect comfort, his perfect peace, perfect hope.
When my sweet boy was hurting, like I said before, all I could offer him was comfort…which is the same thing God offers us in our sorrows. But He actually doesn’t stop there—He gives us what only He can offer: victory through Him.
Be still and know, dear friend, “I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here in earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)
