On Resurrection Sunday, the seven-mile walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus village was sad, confusing, and perplexing for Cleopas and his friend who were disciples of Jesus Christ.  Earlier that morning, they heard that a group of women who visited Jesus' tomb found the stone rolled away, his body missing, and two angels in dazzling white garments!  The angels asked the women, "Why are you looking for the living among the dead.  He is not here.  He is risen from the dead.  Do you remember what he told you while you were in Galilee?  The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise to live again.  Then they remembered his (His) words." (Luke 24:5-8)

Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James and other women rushed out of the tomb and reported what they saw and heard to the apostles and to the rest of the believing community.  Their report seemed to them as idle tales. The Greek word for idle tales, in this case, is leros, which is a medical term meaning delirious, out of touch with reality. The apostles did not believe them (Luke 24:9-11).

We all experience emotional and physical pain differently.  We press on daily knowing that Jesus loves us and wants to use our hurt and pain for His glory and to grow strong, mature Christians (I Peter 4:12-13 NIV).  We must walk the pathway that Jesus planned for our lives because he promised that there is a blessing in our pain (II Corinthians 4:17). 

One evening just before supper, as my father washed his hands in a small washbasin, he asked me if I had fed and watered our farm animals and closed the gate to the fenced area where they were kept.  Feeling far too grown as a teenager, I disrespectfully said, "I will get around to it sooner or later."

Do you spend a lot of time and energy avoiding or escaping the problems and difficulties in your life?  I believe that adversity is such an important part of the human experience that should not be sidestepped because we will miss the experience, knowledge and wisdom it teaches us.

Allow me to give you some valuable keys to life...

​After working for a week on my dad's farm, I could hardly wait for the weekend.  Sometime during Thursday or Friday, I ask my parents if I could hang out with Andrew or Henry, two of my closest boyhood friends.  The fact that their parents and my parents were best friends made this task easier.

I decided to use a strategy that my parents taught me as a child.