Walk to Emmaus

Stand here awhile and drink their silence in.
Annealed in glass, the twelve Apostles stand
And each of them is keeping faith for you.
This roof is held aloft, to give you space,
By graceful angels praying night and day
That you might hear some rumour of their flight
That you might feel the flicker of a wing
And let your heart fly free at last in prayer.
(Malcolm Guite)

When you experience an event that demonstrates the love of God in every aspect, it takes a long time to fully grasp it and reflect upon it. It's so much to collect, it's like trying to fit a lake into a glass jar. I know that I will need to take one scoop at a time.

I recently took the Walk to Emmaus and have been in constant reflection since the end of last weekend. It was held at a retreat center, away from the busy-ness of a city, and all those distractions that come with it. I am so thankful for the many people who were involved in that weekend, behind the scenes, before, during, and after. Friends. Family. My new Emmaus community.

I sat there on my bunk bed that first night feeling displaced. We all were. I wrote in my journal with the mindset of having no idea what the next few days would entail. We all were on the strange and unknown journey. I decided to give all the details of what I was encountering some good thought, and embrace the unknown, and it became a beautiful time of opening up to God. The communal living kept me in mind of those who lived together such as the Disciples and monks, where an essential element of their lives was community. Sharing meals, sharing learning, sharing the hours.

I sat at a table with five other ladies (and we shared meals together, chapel, and lessons). These ladies shared their hearts and souls, which was so amazing to me. They reached for tissues often as this place gave them the opportunity to work through some things. I did the same. The Lord reached deeply into me, and sorted through some things I needed to give Him. We learned about different kinds of graces the Lord bestows on all of us.

One of the big impacts on me was how much I was surrounded by prayer. I had no idea as I arrived, but slowly I would learn bit by bit how my friends and other lovely people there who didn't know me were praying for me by name. They would pray over certain events and special times during the weekend. This kind of selfless, dedicated prayerfulness I had not experienced before and I felt overwhelmed with the presence of God's love.

This kind of experience transcends the weekend. It will stay with me for years, and I will continue to learn from it. I expect bursts of it to emerge every now and then as I pray that I reflect and grow wiser from the knowledge I received.