Surviving the Unbearable / 度过苦难
Dexu Xia
Surviving the Unbearable
She gave this name to the Lord who spoke to her: “You are the God who sees me,” for she said, “I have now seen the One who sees me.” Genesis 16:13
The Experience Project, one of the largest online communities of the twenty-first century, was once a site where tens of millions shared deeply painful firsthand experiences. As I read through the heartbreaking stories, I reflected on how desperately our hearts long for someone to see—to understand—our pain.
In Genesis, the story of a young handmaid reveals just how life-giving this gift can be. Hagar was a slave girl likely given to Abram by a pharaoh of Egypt (see Genesis 12:16; 16:1). When Abram’s wife Sarai was unable to conceive, she urged Abram to conceive a child with Hagar—a disturbing yet familiar practice of that day. But when Hagar became pregnant, tensions flared, until Hagar fled into the wilderness to escape Sarai’s abuse (16:1–6).
But Hagar’s predicament—pregnant and alone in a harsh, unforgiving desert—didn’t escape divine eyes. After a heavenly messenger encouraged Hagar (vv. 7–12), she declared, “You are the God who sees me” (v. 13). Hagar was praising One who sees more than the bare facts. The same God was revealed in Jesus, who, “when he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless” (Matthew 9:36). Hagar encountered a God who understood.
The One who saw and understood Hagar’s pain sees ours as well (Hebrews 4:15–16). Experiencing heaven’s empathy can help the unbearable become a bit more bearable.
度过苦难
夏甲就称那对她说话的耶和华为“看顾人的上帝”。因而说：“在这里我也看见那看顾我的吗？”-创世记16章13节
有个堪称为21世纪最大的社交网站，曾有上千万的网友分享了自己痛苦的经历。我读着这些让人心碎的故事，心想，我们都极度盼望有人能看见并了解自己的伤痛。
创世记中年轻女奴的遭遇，正好说明了有人明白我们的苦情，是一件多么重要的事。夏甲可能是埃及法老赐给亚伯兰的女奴（创世记12章16节，16章1节）。撒莱无法生育，便按当时的风俗催促她丈夫亚伯兰和夏甲同房。但夏甲怀孕后就藐视撒莱，最后因遭撒莱苦待不得不逃到旷野（16章1-6节）。
夏甲身怀六甲，在严酷的旷野踽踽独行的凄凉身影，上帝看见了。于是上帝差派了使者安慰夏甲（7-12节），之后夏甲宣告说那位是看顾她的上帝（13节）。
夏甲所赞美的那位上帝看到的不只是表面状况，降世为人的耶稣也是如此，祂“看见许多的人，就怜悯他们，因为他们困苦流离，如同羊没有牧人一般”（马太福音9章36节）。夏甲遇到的那位上帝了解我们的痛苦。
那位上帝不仅看见和了解夏甲的苦难，祂也看见我们的苦情（希伯来书4章15-16节）。经历从上帝而来的怜悯，能帮助我们度过生命中最难熬的磨难。
知道上帝了解你遭遇的痛苦，如何让你得安慰呢？
你如何成为传递上帝的怜悯和关怀的管道？