The thing about laughter is that even if it is a small, forced chuckle without any real effort behind it, it still lifts our spirits, relieves our burdens even for a moment and improves our mood.
The thing about faith, is that it is just like laughter.
“…Jesus said to them, “I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.” Matthew 17:20.
After recently coming to the realization that we won’t be launching for the World Race this January as we had originally planned, I began to feel a bit like the 2 men had felt traveling from Jerusalem to Emmaus in Luke 24.
On the day Jesus had risen from the grave, these men were walking the 7 mile journey back to what we can assume was their hometown, Emmaus, basically because things hadn’t worked out the way they had thought God would do them. They had envisioned how God would do things, thought they knew what would happen and when it didn’t, when the Miracle Worker was no longer before them, they became disillusioned and gave up hope, leaving Jerusalem and turning back to where they came from, where they had once been, on the road to Emmaus.
Oh, how I can relate.
We all have an invitation from the circumstances of life to hop back on the road to Emmaus, back to what we used to know, and say “Forget about it, God didn’t do things the way I thought He would…I thought if I followed God, THIS is the way my life would be and I’d have no troubles…”
I know I’ve accepted that invitation more than once. Because in those moments, I was missing the point of Calvary. Jesus died and paid for my sins but that doesn’t mean this life won’t have it’s troubles and complications or that God isn’t on His throne when things don’t go the way I assumed they would.
While those 2 men were walking, Jesus approached and began to travel with them but the men did not recognize it was Him. Though He knew those men were doubting God at that moment, He didn’t ignore them. Jesus could’ve been anywhere else that day but He saw 2 of His children in distress and walked the 7 miles with them.
Jesus pursues me even when I’m not pursuing Him.
I had accepted the invitation to jump back on the road to Emmaus after spending this past year planning and organizing and preparing ourselves to be leaving in January for this mission that God has called us to. I felt a little deserted by God when I found out our launch date was now put on hold due to lack of funding.
“But God! You called us on this journey! We’ve spent so much time and money preparing for this calling on our lives. What are you doing?!”
Part of me wanted to give up all together and forget about the whole thing. I wanted to pack my bags and finish those 7 miles back to where I came from before God ever called us to this mission.
But then Jesus showed up, and walked with me. He knew I was doubting, knew I was giving up hope, saw my distress and stubbornness because things didn’t work the way I had thought they would. He pursued me anyways. He won’t forsake me just because I had a dwindling of faith.
Jesus told the men on the road, “You are slow to believe and full of doubt.”
That is exactly what I needed to be told. I needed to be reminded what my faith can accomplish, even when it’s as small as a mustard seed.
I needed to be reminded that I am not responsible for giving God the timeline- He doesn’t need my timeline, He just wants my faith. God has the final report of my life, I don’t need to know what that looks like. I just need to refuse to live in doubt.
As they approached the village of Emmaus, Jesus wanted to keep walking but the men told Him to stay with them in their home where their eyes were then opened to who He was and they realized it was Jesus.
Jesus wants to be wanted by me. He met me on that road to restore my hope but to also pursue my wanting for Him, just like those men had wanted Him to keep spending His time with them. He was trying to get me to talk with Him instead of bringing my cares to others. He was trying to stop my faithlessness in how I was talking and acting. I needed God to correct me when I needed correcting.
I don’t know why God has now called us to launch at a later date but I now understand that I don’t have to know. I don’t have to accept the invitation back to Emmaus because I will see the day God makes it up to me by His anointing over my life and all I need is a mustard seed. And when troubles and worries rise up in my life or when things don’t go the way I thought they would, Jesus will take me from where I am and He will walk those 7 miles with me.
-K.S.
