Episode 2

Greetings, and welcome to this episode of Breaking Bread. I am one of your co-hosts, Reverend Lynn, and here's your other co-host. Hey. It's me. We're not the girls in NCI. We could be. Okay. Margaret Jones. All right. Okay. Get serious. Anyhow, we have been working our way through some of the witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. Some of the earthly witnesses. But we begin each episode with the sharing of food. And this week, I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. I brought rice pudding. Then Jesus interprets much of the Old Testament prophetic sayings for them. What Jesus was teaching them, Cleopas and his companion, was this. The phrase, was it not necessary, refers to the fact that the entire Old Testament had shown how God brought his chosen prophetic leaders first through suffering and then to glory. Thus, the Messiah himself, in fulfillment of Holy Scripture, would first also suffer before entering into his glory. Christ's glory comes at his resurrection and then more fully at his ascension into heaven. So, Cleopas and friends are having quite the conversation with this stranger as they journey on. As they approach Emmaus, Jesus is invited to stay with them as the day is turning into evening. When they are gathered at table together, Jesus takes the bread, blesses it, breaks it, and gives it to them. Cleopas and friends now have their eyes opened and they recognize Jesus. They know him. Imagine how much more they wanted to ask Jesus. They don't get a chance. For Jesus leaves in a very spirit-filled way. He disappears, vanishing right from their sight. Imagine being there. Your mind gets blown twice in rapid succession. For first you get to see it's truly Jesus the Christ whom you've been traveling and talking with this sorrowful day. Pow! That's explosion number one. And then he simply vanishes from right in front of you like he went through a portal or something into a different dimension. Pow! How do you feel? What are you thinking? As your sorrow now turns to joy, what is going on? Well, maybe after you've recovered your senses, you begin to remember what Jesus said. How he spoke of making all things new. How he is not lost no matter what. How he truly is the Redeemer of Israel and all God's children. Well, Cleopas and friends declare, did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road? You see, even though while walking and talking with Jesus and not knowing who he was, Jesus opened the scriptures to them, thus giving them hope and helping them to become convinced of the resurrection. Well, what do Cleopas and companions do next with this truth that they've just witnessed? They must have been worn out and weary from the events during Passover in Jerusalem and then walking seven miles that day. Yet scripture records them as getting up from table after Jesus vanishes in front of them. Remember, it's evening now too. Yet they walk the seven miles back to Jerusalem where they feel they must find Jesus' eleven remaining original disciples whom are still sequestered in the upper room. Upon finding Jesus' disciples and others gathered with them, Cleopas and friends are told that Jesus has risen and appeared to Simon. Cleopas and his companion there and then tell the really good news of who walked the road with them today, taught them much, and then broke bread with them just before revealing himself and then vanishing. Can you just imagine how very, very excited all of Jesus' gathered followers became? They now have a greater and more accurate understanding of the one who poured out his life for them being now the risen one. So what does one do with this truth? And that's what we need to talk about today because we have that truth too. What do we do with this truth? Jesus teaches us all day long. If we are open to it. Absolutely. And what struck me too, as you were just reading this, was how Jesus is with them in their despair, but Jesus joined them on the road. It wasn't that we had to get to a destination. You didn't have to reach Emmaus. Jesus reached us and he appeared on the road to us, which just struck me as really, really kind of cool how he's not asking me to get somewhere per se, but that he comes and strengthens me right on the road. That's pretty cool. Which is a very excellent insight. Yep. Jesus meets us where we are because it's not he who is lost. It is us. Right. And recently I was just thinking about what loss I've experienced in the last couple weeks, which was losing Kenzie Jo, who was a beloved pet doggy. Yeah. Your fur baby. Your girl. And I was thinking today about what did I miss the most? And I've also thought about loved ones that have gone before. And what do I miss the most? And I couldn't ever put my finger on the pulse of it. And it struck me today, I miss the light in their eyes. And it's that that I actually miss. And so recounting this story today has given me a lot of hope because life is full of struggles. And sometimes if we're being honest, it feels like we're, like God forgets about us. Like God forgot about me. But then reading this story today had me even put myself in the shoes where I might not recognize Jesus too. Right. And yet he has come through in an outpouring of love and support. Any time I walk through something, he makes himself known. Yeah. And it's so beautiful. So I think it's perfect today how we're discussing this and it falls in line. More of the witnesses at the resurrection, yeah. It gives me a lot of hope. Yeah. The place I wound up in when I was doing my exegesis for my sermon was thinking about what the Bible is. Because what do we do with the truth? We are to carry it forward. Right. There's an old saying that goes, Christianity has always worn generation away from extinction. Well, you can say that about any faith tradition or, well, I'm not going to. Anyhow, where I came out was thinking about what is the Bible. And I came out on this thought that the Bible is one story. And one story only that goes from cover to cover with God's explanatory notes. The Bible will make you understand things you've never understood before. And it will help you to see things you would have been blind to. The story from cover to cover in the Bible is one of life and death. The stench of death and the sweet fragrance of life are on every page. God's story of creating us, providing for us, and redeeming us can make you weep. And can also give you great cause for celebration. God's story can produce more sadness and deeper joy than you ever thought possible. Cover to cover, the Bible is the story of Christ coming to earth to defeat sin, death, and the devil. While restoring to us an eternal relationship with the people God made in his likeness with him. Jesus is not gone or lost and neither are we as his believers. And I think that that is a powerful message we need to hang on to today. With so much grief that seems to swirl around us at an ever quickening pace. Because due to the miracles of modern technology, the butterfly effect. You can watch it on social media. The person puts out one statement. Don't know if it's true or false, just a statement. And bang, somebody else picks it up. The person is multiplying. I remember a commercial from when you kids were all little. So several decades ago. For herbal essences, shampoo. Shampoo your hair and then oh tell a friend. And then they tell two friends. Two friends tell four friends. And it multiplies. Well we can do that now instantaneously. Inside of a minute, 60 seconds of time. You can have a message that shoots around the world and back again. Now what a wonderful tool to use for the truth of Jesus the Christ and for God. But that's not how we're using it today. We're using it to destroy commandment number 5 or 6. The thou shalt not kill commandment. Because that's what we're doing to one another. We're killing reputation and trying to destroy each other with words. And it happens so fast. And what a tragedy that is. So let's start using these wonderful things that we have for the truth. Let's multiply the truth. One person who hears this podcast. If you like the message about Jesus and you think it speaks the truth. Share it with another person. And then encourage them to share it with another person. Share it with two people. Three people. And so on. But let's do that. Let's get that going around the world in less than a minute. See if we can't multiply it. You know, we've all gone through grief. I don't know if you would remember. What year was it? 2013 years ago. 2010. No, 2011. When my brother John died very unexpectedly. And I was in seminary again getting my Master's of Divinity. And close to graduation, close to ordination and a lot of things. And all of a sudden, yank! They went to rub some under me. And for four solid days I could not get off that couch. The only way anyone could even get me to sit up on that couch was to bring my granddaughter. And I would sit up so I could hold her. It so gutted me. We've all been there. We must carry one another along with the truth of Jesus Christ. Supporting and loving one another. And knowing that he's got his arms around us every minute. You know, there's a beautiful old saying that goes like this. We are each of us angels with only one wing. And we can only fly by holding one another. And I love that image. Because, yeah, I'm broken. I'm a very broken human being. And I am only lifted up through the love of the Lord and the love of the people around me. That's right. And that's like what I was pointing to earlier. God can bring about some of the most beautiful blessings through the ugliest situations. Oh, yeah. And even with, I remember Uncle John passing and then taking that flight with you. I was newly out of spinal surgery and had taken that flight with you. And even though I was in immense pain, discomfort, there's very few things I can remember about that trip. But I remember not wanting you to be alone. Right. And then the greatest, one of the greatest blessings to come out of that trip was getting to know my Uncle Bud a little bit. Yeah. Because that was completely unexpected. And so in a really cool, roundabout way, a death also brought together new ways of understanding each other. Very much like Jesus' earthly death. Yeah. And so I clung to that. I clung to that, that even though Uncle John wasn't here anymore, that others obviously still were. And we had each other. Yeah. And it was beautiful. We also got to break bread with his neighbor. Several of his neighbors. Yeah. They were the ones who discovered him when they didn't see him for two days, discovered his body. Yeah, so it was still out of the most ugliest situation you can imagine, which is beautiful because God always has something better in mind. He knows us better than we know ourselves. Exactly. Like they'll say, you're only three inches to prayer from God. And they are, yes, not yet. And the third one is, I have something better in mind for you. Yep. And it seems that at times in my life when my heart has been most broken is when the light really floods in from the Lord. And sometimes I see it right away and sometimes I don't. But like this gospel text, what I wrote in my closing of the sermon was, the disciples 2,000 plus years ago thought they lost Jesus to death. Remember, most of them thought him to be a prophet. Then he returned in a different likeness that they said he was. He was thought to be a prophet who was then lost in death, yet he revealed his likeness in the resurrection to be the Savior indeed promised by God, the Savior who did indeed reunite us to our Creator. Jesus returned in his eternal, heavenly form. That's a huge thanks be to God. Absolutely. And that's what I would like to ask and put out to the listeners is, you can also email at us at BreakingBreadAgain at gmail.com. But what grief, what tragedy, is there tragedy that you're walking through right now? And would you like to share it? Maybe write an email. Know that we will keep all, we do keep all correspondence confidential, but we will pray over you. So if you want to send us an email with just a word about what you're struggling with, we will pray over you. Absolutely. And keep in mind that we all are on this road together, but that God has given us an unfading hope, which will far surpass the difficulties that we experience in this life. And I'm reminded in wrapping up, I'm reminded of Psalm 23. Very popular. Has to do, though, with the road. In Psalm 23, 1 through 4, says, The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil. For you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me. And with that, we thank you for tuning in this week. For this episode, yes. And continue to come back. We are, as you can tell, right? We're a piece of this. That's what makes it fun. We're trying to get this up and running. We hope, eventually, it will become a weekly podcast. No guarantee, though. You're dealing with a breaking bread babe. But that's our goal. And the direction we're feeling led in by the Lord. So, until next time, keep your pants and your powder dry. You hate it when I do this. That's right. So, until next time, go with the grace of God. And just be still. And know that He is. Amen. Amen.