Emmaus Quest

It was no surprise to me that after taking my morning sunrise beach walk, doing my daily photo shoot and seeing the beauty of this place today that I came home and found this was the devotion and one of the scripture pieces for today, So You God!

I speak to you continually. My nature is to communicate, through not always in words. I fling flourish’s sunsets across the sky, day after day after day. I speak in the faces and voices of loved ones. I caress you with a gentle breeze that refreshes and delights you. I speak softly in the depths of your spirit, where I have taken up residence.
You can find me in each moment, when you have eyes that are and ears that hear. Ask My Spirit to sharpen your spiritual eyesight and hearing. I rejoice each time you discover My Presence. Practice looking and listening for Me durning quite intervals. Gradually you will fine Me in more and more of your moments. You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me above all else.
Jesus Calling, June 20th

The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.
Psalm 19:1

Well I felt it was time to share my story and
it all came together as I was taking my late
afternoon walk on the beach on the last day
of May and I noticed washed up flowers on
the beach. One thought led to another and
so it goes. Oh how God works, I would call
this divine timing.

As I was taking an afternoon walk I noticed flowers that washed up on the beach. Every so many feet I would see another, then another, and another. I’m sure they have a story to tell. Who gave them, who received them … Why washed up on the beach? What was the occasion… could it have been someone’s birthday, anniversary, maybe “I love you” flowers, or for ‘no real reason at all’ flowers, could they be ‘just because’ flowers? In memory of a loved one? Were they for a happy occasion or a sad occasion? I was just wondering what the story was behind them.

Do we ever know others stories, do we ever know what people are really going through on the inside when everything on the outside looks fine. I wanted to share my story especially because I was made aware that today is the last day of May, mental health awareness month. Over the winter months I went through a very dark time. It was very scary. I never experienced anything like what I was feeling. I felt like I was loosing control. We were packing up the house we had spent the last 20 years in. It was time to downsize. We were getting rid of things that no longer served us. I kept thinking that the things I needed no more, would bless someone else. I was also ready to move and excited to start the new chapter in our new home. Everything seem fine but I was not feeling well. The short version of the story is I was diagnosis with anxiety and depression after months of not feeling myself. My mind and body were out of balance. Everyday seemed like groundhog day. I didn’t want to get out of bed in the morning, I lost my passion for everything, I wasn’t leaving the house, I couldn’t sleep, couldn’t eat, I felt scared all the time and worried about everything. Those who know me know this is not me. I actually didn’t want anyone to know my story. I distanced myself from everyone in my life. I just wanted myself back. I felt like I lost myself. I had shared with someone I was dealing with anxiety and their response was, what do you have to be anxious about? You have a beautiful home in Florida, and a new home being built in Pennsylvania. They were right, but that didn’t matter to me. I couldn’t enjoy anything, I was so consumed with how I was feeling. But like I said, do you ever really know what is going on inside of others.

Yep, everybody has a story and this is mine, and I felt it was time to get it out and share it. With the help of God and lots and lots of prayer, the help of my doctor, my husband, (who was also my therapist), I don’t know what I would of done without him, and the meds I’m doing good now. We are in our winter home in Florida at this time, an island located between the beautiful ocean and a huge body of water called the Indian River. This has always been a place of healing for me and I thank God everyday for this place. We are here waiting for our new home to be built. We sold our home in Philly and are make settlement on July 14th on the new house, which is still close to where our daughters are. I am feeling so so grateful that I am on the other side of this. Im still trying to figure out what happened. I remember always saying to my husband, “how did I get here?” I just think a few years of stressful things caught up with me and boiled me over, and living in a Covid world didn’t help. Even though the move was a good thing it was still stressful. All I know is that I am so so grateful for my getting my life back. Well this is my story, like I said it was time to share it. Never be afraid to share your story, you just never know if your story will help someone else.

On the Road to Emmaus
Now that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem. They were talking with each other about everything that had happened. As they talked and discussed these things with each other, Jesus himself came up and walked along with them; but they were kept from recognizing him.
He asked them, “What are you discussing together as you walk along?” They stood still, their faces downcast. One of them, named Cleopas, asked him, “Are you the only one visiting Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?” “What things?” he asked.

“About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. “He was a prophet, powerful in word and deed before God and all the people. The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel. And what is more, it is the third day since all this took place. In addition, some of our women amazed us. They went to the tomb early this morning but didn’t find his body. They came and told us that they had seen a vision of angels, who said he was alive. Then some of our companions went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but they did not see Jesus.”

He said to them, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.
As they approached the village to which they were going, Jesus continued on as if he were going farther. But they urged him strongly, “Stay with us, for it is nearly evening; the day is almost over.” So he went in to stay with them. When he was at the table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him, and he disappeared from their sight. They asked each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us(R) while he talked with us on the road and opened the Scriptures to us?”

They got up and returned at once to Jerusalem. There they found the Eleven and those with them, assembled together and saying, “It is true! The Lord has risen and has appeared to Simon.” Then the two told what had happened on the way, and how Jesus was recognized by them when he broke the bread.
~ Luke 24:13-35

Just as his disciples of old felt reverent
when they were with him, we will feel
reverent when we remember Jesus
Christ during the sacrament. In the
sacrament prayers, we are told that if
we will always remember Jesus Christ
and keep his commandments, we will
have his spirit with us. When we
partake of the sacrament reverently, we
are worshipping Heavenly Father and
Jesus.