My Emmaus Journey- A year in Reflection

This last week we officially closed out our 2018-2019 school year with our graduation ceremony. I was asked to share a few words about the journey I had gone on over the past 10 months. I had already wanted to write a blog about this very thing to share with you so I felt like it was fitting to just give you guys the speech that I gave at graduation! A little over a year ago God gave me a vision of myself. It looked like a movie. I could see a 9 year old version of myself walking on a dirt road at sunset. I was holding someone's hand but I couldn't see who it was. Suddenly, I realized that the person was Jesus. I then saw my face: 9 year old me was laughing and experiencing pure joy. I was delighting in simply being with Jesus, delighting in his presence with me on the road. This vision came during a time when my walk with Christ had grown stale, I was desperate to see Jesus like I had when I was a child: with wide-eyed wonder! 10 months ago, the students and staff of Emmaus embarked on a journey. God called us all to journey together to a city called Emmaus, a road that the resurrected Jesus walked on with two of his disciples. As they were walking he showed them how the whole story of Scripture pointed to himself. As they reflected on their time on the road they said, “Did not our hearts burn within us when he opened up the scriptures to us?”One of my favorite parts of my job is that I get to continue to walk on this Emmaus Road every year with our students. I get to journey alongside them as they see each book of the Bible come alive. I was asked by Caleb to quickly share a little bit of what my Emmaus Journey has looked like for the past 10 months. This turned out to be a really difficult task. The last 10 months of my life have seen so much movement and change. Many times it felt like I was sprinting, not walking, on this Emmaus road. In the last 10 months I taught 10 books of the Bible for the school, and I moved off campus into my first apartment. Most importantly, on January 19th, I got married to the love of my life. As I have reflected about the last year I feel like God has done two things in my life. Specifically, he has shown me his love for me in two major ways. I would like to share those with you.

First thing:

God has shown me his love for me through the books that I taught. Each book this year has been God wanting to gain more real estate in my heart. It was never me imparting knowledge to the students. It was always God speaking to a direct timely need.[gallery ids="329,330" type="rectangular"]Jonah taught me that I am like Jonah: bitter and resentful to people that I think don’t deserve my love; people who I believe are my enemy. God is patient with me, sits with me and challenges me to love unconditionally like how he loves his enemies. Deuteronomy showed me the choice that we all have between life and death. The one I have so commonly chosen wrong. So many times what I think will bring me life is really death with a disguise. No matter how many times I chose death God was offering me true life. Ezekiel: God is in the midst of my suffering, pain and loneliness. He enters into my Babylon. In fact he enters into our darkest times and is present with us. This came at a time when my father was in bad health and I had to go home.Zechariah showed me how to walk out life when our expectations don't meet reality. Corinthians taught me to make Love my aim. Peter taught me to be gentle and kind. So often I wrongly envision myself as leading the students down the Emmaus road - like I’m playing the part of Jesus. But in actuality, it’s that I’m still on this Emmaus journey. I’m 9 years old, delighting in Jesus and every now and again I look back and see these guys walking behind me. The first way God loved me is by giving me these books to teach.

The second way I have seen God love me is through Lauren.

[gallery ids="325,328" type="rectangular"]I knew marriage was going to be fun and awesome. But man, I didn't know that it was going to be this good! There has not been one single other person who has taught me more about the love of Jesus than Lauren. Not because of lack of godly mentors, that's just how awesome Lauren is. When I feel dirty, gross, and unlovable she has been the one to speak love to me. Too many times she has picked me off of the floor and said, “try again”. She has spoken truth to me when I have needed it. She has challenged me to look more like Jesus every day. She Demands my love for her, she pulls my heart back to her and reminds me, “hey, we are in this forever.”. She has seen the ugliest sides of me and said, “I think I can love that.”. She only learned that from Jesus. When I spend time with her and have her love on me, it’s God’s love for me through her. Lauren you are teaching me more about the Gospel than I could ever learn from just studying it in a book. God sent you to be my best friend, because he knew I needed you. Thank you. In many ways I am still on this Emmaus road, and I’m thankful that it will never stop. I’m also so thankful to have these travel companions for this leg of the journey. Class of 2019, your time here at Emmaus is coming to a close, but your journey on the road to Emmaus is just beginning.

Prayer Requests

The Summer ahead- I will soon share with you what we are doing this summer. Please pray for productivity for the staff and travel mercies as we all journey around. Future Students- We are currently accepting student applications. Pray for those who are getting ready to do the school and for those who are still yet to apply. Pray that God would draw in future students to our program. Support- I am hoping to use this summer to get ahead in support raising. I really need to double my monthly support base. Please pray for divine appointments and people who are excited about the mission.