The Gift of Empathy

Empathy is something the world could use a lot more of.

A few weeks ago, a child was brought back to our school on the bus, because no one was at home. This occurrence is fairly common at our school. It’s an elementary school, so if the bus driver sees that no one is at home, they bring them back to the school.

Sometimes when this happens, the child is not fazed in the least. They accept that sometimes miscommunications happen or emergencies occur.

Sometimes the child is really upset and worried. On that particular day, the little boy was inconsolable. We tried desperately to convince him that everything would be okay, but he wasn’t buying it.

He was frantic until we could find his mother and he was assured that all was well and someone was on the way to pick him up.

On my way out the door to an orthodontist appointment, after he was calmer, I chatted with him for a few more minutes. There was a very loud play practice going on to our left. My co-worker was at the window waiting for another bus to come in, when the little boy looked at me and said quietly, “My bus driver told me that as long as there are children at the school, someone will stay with them.”

As my heart shattered into a hundred pieces, I assured him with all of the sincerity in my soul, that he would never be left at school alone. I reminded him that the principal was still there, and that all of those children were still there for play practice, and that my co-worker was still there. We even have an after school program.

But, his words weighed heavily on my fractured heart. He was terrified of being left alone. Haven’t we all been there? If you have ridden around the sun enough times, you have likely felt abandoned at some point. You have likely felt alone.

Whether it was actually a physical state of being alone or an emotional state, it’s a terrible feeling of hopelessness and if we’re not careful, it can scar us. It can lead us to be guarded and defensive. On the other hand, if we allow grace to work, it can teach us empathy, something that is blaringly absent in today’s world.

When we have empathy for others, we try to put ourselves in their shoes. We take the focus off of ourselves and try to understand what the other person is going through, even if that person hasn’t been particularly kind towards us.

God is perhaps the best empathizer of all. He wasn’t content to stay in Heaven at a distance. He sent His son to become one of us. God became one of us through Jesus. So, He truly understands our hearts when we celebrate and when we mourn. He understands what it’s like to be loved and hated, and He knows first hand what it’s like to feel abandoned and alone.

It’s certainly an easier route to close ourselves off to the pain of others. There’s so much of it; it can be overwhelming. But this Advent Season, as we prepare to celebrate the birth of Christ, maybe we should ask ourselves, “What would Jesus do?”

The words of a child reminded me. Perhaps you needed reminding too.

Have an awesome day!

Wendy 🙂