Empathy
'...and there, where they were living, I
sat among them...overwhelmed.'
Ezekiel 3:15
Ezekiel discovered that empathy was a primary qualification for
ministering to hurting people. It still is.
The story is told of a farmer who had some puppies for sale. He made a
sign advertising them. One day he felt a tug on his overalls and saw a
little boy with a big grin and something in his hand. 'Mister, I want
one of your puppies.' The farmer replied, 'Those puppies come from fine
parents and cost a good deal.' The boy thought for a moment then
said, 'I've got 50 pence, is that enough to take a look?' 'Sure,' said
the farmer, and called out, 'Dolly, here Dolly.' Down the ramp
ran Dolly followed by her four pups. The boy's eyes lit up. Then out
from the doghouse peeped another puppy, this one noticeably smaller.
Down the ramp it slid and began hobbling to catch up with the others -
it was the runt of the litter.
The boy pressed his face to the fence and said, 'I want that one.' The
farmer said, 'Son, you don't want that puppy, he'll never be able to
run and play with you the way you'd like.' Suddenly the boy
reached down and pulled up his trouser leg, revealing a steel brace
running down both sides, attached to a specially made shoe. Looking at
the farmer he said, 'You see, Sir, I don't run well myself, and he'll
need someone who understands.'
Every limitation you've overcome,
every fear you've conquered, has equipped you to help lift somebody
else - otherwise they're wasted experiences!
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