Empathy
defined: the psychological identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings thoughts , or attitudes of another.
~One of my favorite things in the world is to hear a little toddler voice calling me Grammy or Gamma, [depending on who is saying it].
Being a grandma is one of the greatest joys in my life. My granddaughter and grandson are polar opposites, but my love for them is equal. I enjoy them both immensely. Their unique personalities are fun to observe. The boy is a whirlwind of constant motion. He is excellent at making sound effects of motors and engines. His charming personality and his bright eyes captivate me.
I enjoy the girl's ability to stay in one place, talking and singing the whole time while in her imaginary world. I love watching and listening to her play. She reminds me of her mother at that same age. Her beautiful, delicate features endear me.
I've experienced immeasurable moments of joy with both of them. But a few weeks ago I felt my first heartache as a Grandma. I had the pleasure of watching my granddaughter while her mom went shopping. After she arrived, I had her choose some toys from my stash. She uses her imagination so well that it doesn't take much to entertain her. We also spent time coloring with markers and tracing her little hands on the paper.
I participated in her play by giving "life" and speech to some toy animals. My granddaughter joined me in the basement. She explored while I did some laundry.
We were having a grand time.
Suddenly our fun came to a crashing halt. She had been walking and talking, carrying a toy in each hand. Somehow she tripped and fell into the corner of a wall. I was standing right there, so I immediately picked her up and hugged her as she cried. When I looked at her sweet little face, I saw a horizontal gash on her forehead. It was almost an inch long and blood was trickling down her face. I was unable to hold back my tears. I was afraid for her and felt so badly for the pain and fright she must have been experiencing. I knew I needed to hold it together for her sake. Even as I tried to be calm, tears streamed down my cheeks. I washed the blood and tried to use a cold compress, but she told me "No thank you, ice." All this time I was quietly pleading with my Father, asking him to protect her and to help me give her the care she needed.
Soon, I was able to control my tears and comfort her until her mommy arrived.
{Her mother did a much better job of controlling her fear & worry. Her daughter only saw her calm & comforting mother, and not her inner turmoil.}.
~
Long story short, She was taken to a children's hospital and our little toddler ended up getting 5 stitches. The staff did a wonderful job of caring for our little sweetheart. She didn't seem traumatized at all! I was still shaken by the incident and shed a few more tears. Later I learned that my daughter was finally able to cry after her girl was safely tucked in bed. Her daddy cried too. :-)
It's not easy to see your loved ones suffer. I believe our Abba feels the same way. It hurts him even though he is in control of the events in our lives. He only allows the pain that will be beneficial, yet he does not take joy in seeing his children suffer.
Jesus, knowing that his father was going to bring Lazarus back to life, still wept when he saw the people mourning. {John 11:33-35}. I understand that I cannot know what Jesus was thinking or feeling at that moment, but his emotions are recorded. He was saddened even when he knew about the miracle that was soon to take place.
There are other places in the Bible that tell of Jesus being moved emotionally for humans. One of those is mentioned in Mark 6 verse 34, "Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like a sheep with out a shepherd."
I am thankful that I have a Savior who has emotions; who is able to relate to us. Emotions come from the Creator. We should not ignore them nor bury them. Emotions give us a better understanding of the character of God. They help us to appreciate his deep love for us.
defined: the psychological identification with or vicarious experiencing of the feelings thoughts , or attitudes of another.
~One of my favorite things in the world is to hear a little toddler voice calling me Grammy or Gamma, [depending on who is saying it].
Being a grandma is one of the greatest joys in my life. My granddaughter and grandson are polar opposites, but my love for them is equal. I enjoy them both immensely. Their unique personalities are fun to observe. The boy is a whirlwind of constant motion. He is excellent at making sound effects of motors and engines. His charming personality and his bright eyes captivate me.
I enjoy the girl's ability to stay in one place, talking and singing the whole time while in her imaginary world. I love watching and listening to her play. She reminds me of her mother at that same age. Her beautiful, delicate features endear me.
I've experienced immeasurable moments of joy with both of them. But a few weeks ago I felt my first heartache as a Grandma. I had the pleasure of watching my granddaughter while her mom went shopping. After she arrived, I had her choose some toys from my stash. She uses her imagination so well that it doesn't take much to entertain her. We also spent time coloring with markers and tracing her little hands on the paper.
I participated in her play by giving "life" and speech to some toy animals. My granddaughter joined me in the basement. She explored while I did some laundry.
We were having a grand time.
Suddenly our fun came to a crashing halt. She had been walking and talking, carrying a toy in each hand. Somehow she tripped and fell into the corner of a wall. I was standing right there, so I immediately picked her up and hugged her as she cried. When I looked at her sweet little face, I saw a horizontal gash on her forehead. It was almost an inch long and blood was trickling down her face. I was unable to hold back my tears. I was afraid for her and felt so badly for the pain and fright she must have been experiencing. I knew I needed to hold it together for her sake. Even as I tried to be calm, tears streamed down my cheeks. I washed the blood and tried to use a cold compress, but she told me "No thank you, ice." All this time I was quietly pleading with my Father, asking him to protect her and to help me give her the care she needed.
Soon, I was able to control my tears and comfort her until her mommy arrived.
{Her mother did a much better job of controlling her fear & worry. Her daughter only saw her calm & comforting mother, and not her inner turmoil.}.
~
Long story short, She was taken to a children's hospital and our little toddler ended up getting 5 stitches. The staff did a wonderful job of caring for our little sweetheart. She didn't seem traumatized at all! I was still shaken by the incident and shed a few more tears. Later I learned that my daughter was finally able to cry after her girl was safely tucked in bed. Her daddy cried too. :-)
It's not easy to see your loved ones suffer. I believe our Abba feels the same way. It hurts him even though he is in control of the events in our lives. He only allows the pain that will be beneficial, yet he does not take joy in seeing his children suffer.
Jesus, knowing that his father was going to bring Lazarus back to life, still wept when he saw the people mourning. {John 11:33-35}. I understand that I cannot know what Jesus was thinking or feeling at that moment, but his emotions are recorded. He was saddened even when he knew about the miracle that was soon to take place.
There are other places in the Bible that tell of Jesus being moved emotionally for humans. One of those is mentioned in Mark 6 verse 34, "Jesus saw the huge crowd as he stepped from the boat, and he had compassion on them because they were like a sheep with out a shepherd."
I am thankful that I have a Savior who has emotions; who is able to relate to us. Emotions come from the Creator. We should not ignore them nor bury them. Emotions give us a better understanding of the character of God. They help us to appreciate his deep love for us.
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