Journeying with Resurrected Jesus

Journeying with Resurrected Jesus Friday, May 26 Fun Friday "They came near the village where they were going, and he gave the impression that he was going farther. But they urged him, 'Stay with us because it's almost evening, and now the day is almost over.' So he went in to stay with them. It was as he reclined at the table with them that he took the bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him, but he disappeared from their sight. They said to each other, 'Weren't our hearts burning within us while he was talking with us on the road and explaining the Scriptures to us?' That very hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem. They found the Eleven and those with them gathered together, who said, 'The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!' Then they began to describe what had happened on the road and how he was made known to them in the breaking of the bread.” Luke 24:28-35 “Soul Sisters is a Christ-centered ministry that encourages women to grow in their faith through prayer and God’s Word both on-line and on-land. Our hope is that every woman in this group will know Christ in such a way that His light will shine in them and through them for all the world to see.” This is the “mission statement” the Soul Sisters leadership team came up with from the very beginning way back in 2016. And I think it is a great way to end up our week as we look at our focus scripture, think about vision, and today, focus on fun. Looking at our passage again – we see the travelers going on a journey together – walking down the road to Emmaus. And although that doesn’t necessarily sound FUN to us in 2023, I bet this wasn’t uncommon and they were glad to on this “road trip” together. I bet they made it FUN! What stood out to me this week as we have explored “vision” as it relates to what this scripture teaches us is this. Despite the conversation they were having and even some teaching that Jesus was sharing them pointing them back to prophesies of the Messiah, they didn’t see Jesus as Jesus UNTIL He served them. Think about that for a minute. Then, think about that in relation to our Soul Sisters mission statement. And finally, think about how that relates to us serving others. If you're anything like me, you may have just had an "aha!" moment. (Or, perhaps you're even more perceptive, thinking, 'Missy, it took you a whole week to grasp that?' To which I respond, 'Yes!') My "aha!" moment is that Jesus was revealed through His act of service. When we serve others and allow His light to shine in us and through us, Jesus is revealed. This realization is HUGE for me! How about you, Sisters? Isn’t FUN how God gives us aha’s through His Word? Doesn’t it bring you JOY to realize that serving others can allow them to see Him in you? So today, I have a challenge for you. What can you do in the next few days to have some FUN serving someone else? And what I now know through our deep dive in these 8 verses is that when you do this – Jesus will be made known to them! And they may just feel compelled to go tell others about Him. Jesus, thank you for journeying with us. Sometimes we don't recognize You, but we believe You are here. There are times when we are sad, disappointed, and even a little lost in this world, because the expectations of our humanity get in the way. When You make yourself very evident, though, our hearts burn within us. Will you help us to recognize that and trust it. Your presence can make us brave. Today, we commit ourselves to You. We want to be transformed by Your presence in our lives and Your power in our bodies. We belong to You, and that Truth makes us glad. Amen.