How do you think they feel?

she ached, really.  to say she was hurt, i don't think that would encapsulate all that she was feeling, all that she was thinking.  her kids were being hurt, and by one they had come to love and welcome as their own.  in fact, it was clear that she saw him as one of her own.  this breakdown, this severing of relationships was personal, to the point where she was shouldering blame, believing somehow, someway, this was her fault.  if she had just done...or if she hadn't done, or maybe if this was this instead...

it is quite sad to see relationships, that were once vibrant and full of love and respect dissipate into vengefulness and hatred.  the disrespect that can follow broken relationships is so sad.  one of the things we hope to infuse into the lives of our kids, as well as the lives of the young men i get to spend time with, is an understanding that we all possess the imago Dei.  it seems this is a never-ending aspect of my blogging.  that we are made in the image of God...and we should love and treat one another as such.  we've started to adopt a parenting strategy that one of our friends shared she used with her son.  this soon to be sixth grader is kind, empathetic, respectful and caring.  he shot back at a bully who was picking on him and kids in his class and felt awful when the bully began to cry.  we refused to believe her when she told us he used to not be as observant of how his actions and behavior affected others.  she started the transformation by asking the questions, "And how do you think that makes _______ feel?"  and slowly, over time, we now have this incredible young man who seems to embody the word empathy.  we've started asking the boys and we are seeing how they are responding to the question and beginning to see the world as bigger than their 4 and 5 year old bubbles.

i wonder how much hurt, how much anger, how much malice would be avoided if, rather than clinging to protecting our own interests and rights; we chose to often ask ourselves, "How do I think 'so-and-so' would feel if I do/say _______?"  Scripture calls us to live that way, Jesus lived a life of kenosis on our behalf, for our good...should we not live the same? as you move throughout your day, when you enter into any interactions, ask yourselves that question...seek to live in a way that brings love and joy to those around you.