Hope

Monday April 25, 2011

We all walk the Emmaus Road at times –
a road the disappointed disciples trod.

We face trials, disappointments, even despair.
Yet he appears at our side, unexpectedly.

Bringing hope, he stirs our hearts.
Heaven reveals itself, and his spirit leaps within us.

Go back in time with me. What might we overhear on that road?
How can these disciples’ story speak to me today?

::::

I sighed from the depths of my heart. “I truly thought he was the one.”

My friend nodded, adding, “Not only that, I loved him so. And now he’s gone.”

Depressed and confused, we plodded slowly down the dirt road to Emmaus. The painful, disappointing moments of the last few days were fresh in our minds. We could see nothing but broken dreams and shattered expectations.

Suddenly, a man appeared by our sides. We were startled and even more surprised when he asked about our conversation. We stopped, faces downcast. How could this be? Here was one who had missed all the disheartening moments in Jerusalem.

I recounted the sad events of the past few days, disappointment and disbelief spilling over as I spoke of the empty tomb.

His response? He chided us for our unbelief; then he began to speak with authority, opening the scriptures to us as never before. As this man spoke of the prophets of old, their connection to the past week of sadness and suffering suddenly became clear.

We hung on to every word. As our pace slowed, we looked up and realized we had reached our destination. Thirsty to hear more, we urged him to stay.

We sat at table with him, and he broke the bread. That moment, in his humanity, we saw his divinity.

“God, made flesh, dwelt among men” rang in our hearts. In that moment, we knew, we believed… and he was gone.

We looked about the room, then stared at one another. With a tremor in his voice, my friend spoke. “Did not our hearts burn within us when He talked with us on the road?”

In that moment, the burning in our hearts on the road illuminated the truth of His death and more importantly, the truth of His life eternal.

We rose from the table with hearts aflame and returned to share the hope we had received. Heaven had revealed itself and we knew – He’s alive forevermore, and He lives within our hearts.

When my focus is on him, the future holds hope.

Linking up today with Michelle at Graceful for Hear it on Sunday, Use it on Monday.

6 comments:

Heidi @ Decor & More said...

Love this ~ blessings to you, Laura!

Diane said...

Beautiful re-telling! Happy Easter!!! :O)

Jennifer said...

So beautiful! I can't imagine a future--in this life or the next--without Him as my hope.

Unknown said...

Beautiful post, Laura! I can't imagine the disciple's emotions as they realized they were walking and dining with their Savior.

Amy Sullivan said...

How can these disciples’ story speak to me today? Such a good question, Laura. Not only how can their story speak to me, but am I willing to stop and let it.

Michelle DeRusha said...

I love a good re-telling of a Biblical story -- it always brings the story alive for me when I can place myself right into the scene.

Thank you for this, Laura -- what a wonderful post to link up!

I hope you enjoyed a wonderful Easter with your dear family!

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