Easter is past, but thankfully Jesus keeps popping up to help us on our journeys as we struggle to be people of hope. There are so many resurrection stories in the bible and in our lives. Luckily, the resurrection was never ever a, “one and done” kind of miracle. One of my favorite resurrection stories is in the Gospel of Luke. It is the story of the two disciples, Cleopas and most likely his wife, walking on the road toward Emmaus. The have left Jerusalem and are walking west following the death of Jesus. A stranger joins them on the road and they share their sorrow and their stories. It is not until it grows late in the day and they invite the stranger in to share a meal with them that they recognize it is Jesus who has been walking with them. Jesus, their teacher and companion joins them briefly, but it is long enough to turn them around in hope. Their journey now takes them east toward the sunrise, back to the others to share the good news.
When I hear this resurrection story, I always think of Dorrie Godden, a long time member of my former congregation. Her life was hard but she always trusted God was with her on the road. And she was often on the road, walking or taking the bus around Duluth because she never learned to drive a car. She loved to go visiting her friends and the more homebound members of the congregation. Her children knew of her visiting. Her daughter MaryAnne lived near the bus stop that Dorrie always waited at. MaryAnne sometimes would sit out on her front porch and hold up a cardboard sign that read, “I Love You Mom”.
Dorrie was truly one who brought bread and the love of God with her wherever her bus rides took her. She carried it in her tote bag. You never saw Dorrie without her bags, and there were always lots of goodies in them. She carried treats for those she visited, things like cookies, candy, and little Debbie cakes. She shared what she had so graciously. She made many, many visits to nursing homes where she could be found sharing stories, songs and sweets over coffee with friends. It was my good fortune to be with her on some of those visits. I loved to watch Dorrie sharing her sweet, sweet love. It truly was Christ made known in the breaking of bread.
Sweet treats weren’t always the only thing in her tote. One time Mark, her son in law who lived with her, had a pet ferret, and the ferret found it’s way in her bag for a nap. Dorrie made it all the way to the bus stop before she found the ferret. She stomped back home and unloaded Mrs. Bigglesworth, and then went back out on her visiting rounds. All her visits and phone calls, her church work, her reading to kids in the public schools were part of her deep faith. As Dorrie said so often, “Only one life; twill soon be past, only what’s done for Christ will last.”
Yes we only have one life. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life, and have it more abundantly.” Dorrie was one of those people who had abundant life, certainly not in material possessions, but in God’s love which she so freely shared throughout her life.
I visited her several times in the hospital before she died. During one of those visits she told me she had a dream. She was walking on the road and on the road ahead was Jesus and she was meeting him up ahead. I told her to go ahead and catch up. I truly believe she did.
There is so much love that lasts. May we carry it in our hearts, or maybe in a tote as we too walk our roads with Christ.
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