Bearing Burdens

Empathy, as defined in Webster's, is the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts or experience of another without having the feelings, thoughts, or experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner. Most people can sympathize (to share suffering or grief) with others fairly easily. It is something else to empathize. Last week was one of those weeks where I found myself waking in the middle of the night completely unable to get back to sleep because I felt in my soul like something was terribly wrong with someone else. I didn't know who; so I prayed for baby Stellan and his parents. The next day I found out that a man I know, who has two young children and a precious wife, had been killed about the time I woke up in the night. I had found out hours before at church that a young father who used to be a member of our church had died suddenly, leaving twins, another daughter and a wife to live life without him. An older woman in my church (whom I love dearly) lost her husband of 60 years to cancer earlier in the week. I found myself on Sunday morning with my heart feeling like it would break in the pew for the others whose hearts were heavy with grief. I always say that I am not good at emotional stuff. People who are hurting are too much for me. I never know what to say and I feel the urge to physically run away. I always say it's because I lack mercy. The truth is the pain of others feels like it will engulf me too. I feel it in my soul. There are moments that we are called to circle one another and help carry the burdens that are too much for one to carry alone. As I watched these people grieve, I thought how hopeless and terrible it would be if we were to carry it all alone. I am thankful today that we can go to Jesus with pain and suffering and He will not only comfort and carry us through; but He will bring others to us to help as well. Today I am a little less afraid of other people's pain and glad that I can carry even a minuscule amount so it is not so heavy for them. There is a visual that MckMama has on her site. I want you to go and look at it. There are people all over the world (literally) praying for Stellan. Each person carrying just a little for a precious baby boy and his sweet family. This is what "the church" is supposed to be. It brings tears to my eyes and I have to believe that God is so proud of His children..

Share each
other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of
Christ. 3 If you
think you are too important to help someone in need, you
are only fooling
yourself. You are really a nobody. (Galatians 6:1-3 New
Living Translation)

Now head on over there. Please notice Stellan has made it to the White House, Disney, Graceland, Senegal, the Ivory Coast and many many other places.
http://www.mycharmingkids.net/2008/08/eventually-these-photographs-will-be-in.html