I love heartburn

It may very well be one of the most wonderful walks ever … the walk on the road to Emmaus.

Two believers that had been a part of the ministry of Jesus, and fully expected Him to rescue them, became confused when Jesus died on the cross and was buried. Three days later, when they heard that the tomb was empty — and the body of Jesus was missing, they lost all hope. Their hearts were broken.

They began walking toward the village of Emmaus. They were heading the wrong direction — walking away from believing — taking sadness, despair, and disappointment with them. As they walked and talked along the road, they began to try to reason out in their minds and in their conversations what had gone wrong.

Then, something life-changing happened. A stranger began to walk with them. The stranger listened as they shared the events of their story of Jesus’ arrest, crucifixion, burial, the empty tomb — from beginning to end — about how they had counted on Jesus to save them — but it hadn’t happened.

As evening fell, they stopped walking and invited the stranger to stay with them, still unaware that it was Jesus who had joined them on their walk. As they sat to eat, Jesus took the bread, blessed it, broke it, and gave it to them. What happened next?

Luke 24:31-32 tells us: Their eyes were opened. They knew Him. They then recognized that it was Jesus they had found along the road — or better yet, Jesus had found them. He then vanished out of their sight. Realizing what had just taken place, the two believers, no doubt shook their heads in disbelief and looked at each other with excitement as they said, “Didn’t our hearts burn within us, while He talked with us along the way, and while He opened up the scripture to us?”

Yes, they were feeling the burn. The greatest case of heartburn ever. A fire had been ignited and was burning in their hearts and souls.

That’s the heartburn I want. Such an intense burn that I just look at my friends, shaking my head in amazement — with that ‘deer in headlights’ look in my eyes  — unable to contain the magnificent truth about the change in my heart that my Lord and Savior — Jesus Christ — has brought about!

This story shows the steps from heartbreak to heartburn — steps that still work today:

• Let our eyes be opened.

• Know Jesus.

• Talk with Jesus along the way.

• Let Jesus open up the scripture to us.

One walk. From heartbreak to heartburn. Good stuff. God stuff.

Ann Farabee, writer, teacher, and speaker, has taught in Kannapolis City Schools and Mooresville Schools. Contact her at annfarabee@gmail.com