I am writing with tears running down my cheeks. Sometimes life can be in such a way that we don’t understand how most things works. I read this story about a guy who went to store to buy a puppy. When he got there he realized four of the puppies were sitting together with just one of the puppy sitting alone in the corner.
He asked the price for the four and the man said they are going for $50.00, and he looked at the one alone and asked if that was from the same litter, if it was for sale, and why it was sitting alone. The store owner replied that it was from the same litter, it was a deformed one, and not for sale.
The boy asked what the deformity was. The store owner replied that the puppy was born without a hip socket and had a leg missing. The boy asked, “What will you do with this one?” The reply was it would be put to sleep. The boy asked if he could play with that puppy. The store owner said, “Sure.” The boy picked the puppy up and the puppy licked him on the ear. Instantly the boy decided that was the puppy he wanted to buy. The store owner said “That is not for sale!” The boy insisted. The store owner agreed.
The boy pulled out $2 from his pocket and ran to get $48 from his mother. As he reached the door the store owner shouted after him, “I don’t understand why you would pay full money for this one when you could buy a good one for the same price.” The boy didn’t say a word. He just lifted his left trouser leg and he was wearing a brace. The pet store owner said, “I understand. Go ahead, take this one.”
Lesson
This is empathy.Sometimes when others approach us with problem we don’t only have to sympathize with them, we have to empathize. That is when you sympathize all that you are trying to say is that “I understand how you feel” but when you empathize you are telling the person “I feel how you feel” Show empathy today and God will bless you.
