Being an Empath is not easy. Some call it a gift, some call it a curse. Whichever it is, Empaths have two choices: hide away and suffer through it the best you can until death finally brings relief, or learn to live with it - and live.
And I believe that starts with faith. But faith can be a tricky thing.
Some people use ‘faith’ as a weapon, something with which to punish themselves, thinking (wrongly) if it’s not strong enough or consistent enough or blind enough then they must be doing it wrong. And if they don’t get a particular result they want, that self-flagellation suddenly seems justified (You see? Had I done it better…).
But I don’t believe that’s the way it works. I don’t believe God is some vindictive son-of-a-$#@%$ sitting up there on a cloud just waiting for me to screw up so he can deny me my heart’s desire.
I struggled with the question of faith for a long time. Oh, I've no doubt that God exists, that He’s all around me, that I’m His daughter and therefore He loves me, that He listens to me with infinite patience, even when I ask the same things over and over again (and does not roll His eyes no matter how many times I come back for reassurance!). I believe He wants me to have my heart’s desire and I know He answers my prayers with astounding regularity.
But none of that ever interfered with my ability to riddle myself with doubts and then beat myself up because surely faith requires the absence of doubt, does it not?? (the answer is, ‘Of course not!’)
I've never prayed for my Empathic abilities to go away, although I suppose others have, and I can understand why. It’s a hard thing we live with. But I think ‘understanding’ changes everything.
Empathy will never be something we carry lightly. We will still feel the pain. But with understanding - and faith - we can step out of the dark.
Copyright © 2008 by Pamela S. K. Glasner, All Rights Reserved
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"prayers being answered with monotonous regularity"...you almost made it sound like a complaint!!! lol
ReplyDeleteAn interesting way to look at things Pamela. I have my own views on faith but in the end whether God exists or not (and I believe he does) is not really the issue, if we live our lives with a good heart and care for others then life and what exists beyond it will be wonderful. BJR
ReplyDeleteBernard,
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad you visited my blog (The Lodestarre: Finding Emmaus")and commented. I just love this poem - it's as though you'd gotten into my head!
I'd be delighted and honored if you'd become a follower - I certainly intend to do that here. I'm always so envious of poets - I can't do it, so I'm always impressed by those who can.
Sincerely,
Pamela
Great post. Your right, I am sure many unskilled empaths pray for their empath to go away just to be dissapointed the next morning when they wake up with it again. Empathy is genetic so it is like praying to suddenly wake up having different colored eyes.
ReplyDeleteThe planet needs many things for balance. Empaths being transmutters of negative energy absorb a lot of the negative energy of the world. Imagine how different it would be if there were no empaths.
Sherry
There have been a great many people who have written to me asking me how to make empathic abilities go away, to which I tell them there is not a way to get rid of it! You must learn to work with it! Empathic ability is a gift from God. We are to use it to create and serve others, which you are doing beautifully! I'm so glad to read you are devoting yourself to writing full time! God Bless!
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