“I’ve been there…” You can’t imagine the sigh of relief I experienced after I heard these words. I’m quite sure the person who told me this would say my facial expressions screamed, “Thank you! You get it! You actually care! I’m not alone!” If you’re wondering what happened a while ago, I ran into a grocery store really quick for one item. As I went to checkout, I saw another lady with a cart full of grocery’s approaching the shortest checkout line at the same time as me. I thought, “Man you have got to be kidding me! I really don’t want to wait behind this person with all of these groceries!” I only had one item and didn’t want to spend my time waiting. Once I began to get in line, the lady with the cart full of groceries looked at me with my one item and kindly let me get in front of her. I was so relieved and thanked her. She then said, “I’ve been there.” Whew! Their response seemed to echo in my head. “I’ve been there.” They could relate and empathize with how I was feeling at that moment and as a result they responded in a loving manner.

“I’ve been there.” I have to be honest, in the past I felt like I just couldn’t relate to some people’s experiences. I just couldn’t understand or get to a point where I could really see things from some people’s perspective. Since being in a different season (praise God that it’s only a season), I believe my eyes have been opened and I’ve learned, actually I’m still learning, to be more others focused and not so focused on myself. In the past, I actually tried to do everything in my power to avoid “being there” (or getting outside of my bubble) if that makes sense. Sometimes being able to genuinely empathize with others requires you to get out of your comfort zone. It may require you to be uncomfortable. I remember someone saying before that you can’t preach about what you haven’t been through. You don’t have anything to talk about if you have no experience because you haven’t been through anything. As awkward as that may seem it’s actually true. Our experiences in life allow us to encounter various aspects of God’s character and we can then encourage others as they go through life.

This past year one of my uncle’s passed away. As I was reading through the Bible around the time of his passing, I came across a passage of scripture that really ministered to me.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ.”

-2 Corinthians 1:3-5

I love this passage of scripture because it reminds me that God is the Father of compassion and that He comforts. He comforts us so that we can comfort others with the same comfort that we receive from God. Don’t you just love God’s Word!?! 🙂  The situations we go through in life are not just for ourselves. As God is graciously with us in everything, showing compassion and comforting us, He provides us with an example of how to love others in the same manner that He loves us.

I remember a few years ago being extremely frustrated after fracturing my ankle in a game of basketball. You never realize how much thought goes into accomplishing the simplest tasks until you only have one foot that works and you have to use crutches to get everywhere. Suddenly, I went from power walking everywhere to looking on websites ahead of time to make sure they were handicap accessible. But as I went places, I remember people stopping to offer help and even encouraging me because they too had been on crutches in the past. They knew what it was like and could empathize with me.

Looking back at that moment I was in the store at the checkout line, I would now look at it as a ministry opportunity and not as a waste of time. I’m pretty sure their salvation is more important than me rushing out of the store. (Let’s be real. Most of the time we’re in a rush for no reason at all anyway.) It’s interesting that Jesus was never in a rush…that’s another story for another day. Any who, perspective is key. It’s amazing how situations look differently when you take the focus off of yourself. But at the end of the day, I believe that God wants us to empathize with people and to see them where they are and to “be there” as an ambassador for Him.

Is it convenient all of the time? No.

Is it comfortable all of the time? No.

Is it pleasing to God and does it make Him smile? Absolutely.

Friends, let’s be the hands and feet of Jesus and turn the world upside down for God’s glory!