She was crying uncontrollably and I did not know what to do. Should I hug her in an attempt to comfort her? Would it be better to take her around the corner and then begin a conversation about what is going? Is the best option to find a woman leader to come over and begin to engage this female student? I found myself in an uncomfortable position with little to no confidence of what to do.

As a young student ministry intern, this was a situation I hoped was rare. But now as a more experienced student ministries pastor, I understand how common this type of circumstance is. While engaging a problem child is one thing, empathizing with a crying student is another. So how can we as parents, pastors, co-workers, neighbors, and even friends empathize with people around us who are hurting? Brene Brown has a great video clip on Empathy. It is well worth your 3 minutes and it may save you a friendship, relationship, and influence later. Check it out here.

Enjoy and as always be with the Lord’s people on the Lord’s day.