The Worth Of Knowing

“That’s called empathy,” I told my then three year old as I pointed to Frog sitting on the porch next to Toad who was feeling sad about never having got a letter. Frog and Toad Are Friends: The Letter is probably my favorite Frog and Toad story and I was trying to reign in my excitement at all the healthy relationship qualities it illustrated.

“And then Frog got up and did something about it,” I added as we turned the page and Frog wrote a letter to Toad, “He took time to sit quietly with Toad while he was feeling sad, but didn’t stop there.”

We turned the page again, “And then Frog showed empathy again to Toad when he sat and was happy with Toad.”

Imagine if Frog just told Toad, “You’re not going to get a letter. You’ve got to move on.”

Or, “Some people just don’t get letters. That’s the way life is.”

*Cringe*

Those things could have been true, but that’s not what Toad needed in that moment.

Often when we think about how Jesus showed empathy, we think of how He wept with Mary before He rose Lazarus from the dead. But what about God the Father?

In Gethsemane with tears and sweat Jesus humbly begged His Father to let “this cup” pass from Him if it was God’s will. Jesus asked knowing God wouldn’t grant His request.

He came to God from a place of perfect humility and strong emotions and made a request He knew would be denied. Why? Why did He expose Himself to a “no” from God Almighty?

Maybe because Jesus’ emotions and desires were welcomed and safe with His Father. God wasn’t going to turn His back on His Son for expressing His desire to accomplish their goal through other means. God wasn’t going to smirk at His Son for displaying human emotions in His human body. In fact, God cared deeply.

God is an empathetic Father.

God is my empathetic Father.

God doesn’t ask me to get rid of my emotions and desires. He asks me to cry out to Him with them.

He already perfectly knows how I feel and what I need and yet God invites me to cast my cares on Him. Not to fix them per se. Not to give me a pat answer. Not because He doesn’t already understand them completely. But because He cares for me. God wants me to share my emotions and desires because that’s part of being in a secure relationship with Him.

God wants me to let Him sit with me.

“So humble yourselves under the mighty power of God, and at the right time he will lift you up in honor. Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you.”
‭‭1 Peter‬ ‭5:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬