Читать книгу Sharing the Burden - Christa Lüling - Страница 6

“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” Gal. 6:2 “… for each one should carry his own load.” Gal. 6:5

How did you feel when you read these two verses? Did the first one make you feel guilty, the second one seem cold and heartless? If so, you may be a burden bearer, and you may be on the threshold of a very important discovery.

We burden bearers have a special gift, and our heavenly Father, the Gift Giver, encourages us to use it: “Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” Romans 12:15 What a blessing it is to sense God’s Spirit moving through us to help someone feel less alone and misunderstood; to not just talk to her but to feel with her. To carry some of his emotional burden when it is just too heavy for him to bear alone.

But people with this gift of extreme empathy – highly sensitive burden bearers, as Christa and Dirk Lüling call us – are often misunderstood, not only by the majority in cultures used to praising the “go-getter”, but by ourselves, steeped as we are in the thought patterns of those who have other special gifts. It’s no wonder the literal translation of the original German title of this book is Burden Bearing – the Misunderstood Gift.

And we are in danger – from self-pity, burnout, resentment, lack of self-esteem. We desperately need to learn when and how to protect ourselves from the emotions our nervous systems don’t automatically screen out. And we need healing from the hurt that not only others but also we ourselves have inflicted on us. We need to be understood and appreciated – but firstly and most importantly, we need to understand and appreciate ourselves.

The original German version of this book has been a best-seller on the Christian book market since it appeared in 2007. Many people have learned to understand, accept and appreciate themselves, often for the first time. It has been my privilege to not only read it, but to study it as I have translated it. The knowledge, empathy, tips and prayers contained in this little book have made an immense difference in how I see myself and interact with others. I’ve been told that many of us prefer the blessing found in helping others to the risk involved in allowing ourselves to be helped, no matter how desperate our need. It is my prayer that you open your heart as you read this precious book, place your trust in your heavenly Father and let Him heal, convict, comfort and encourage you to be all He has made you to be.

Patricia Cress