Henri Nouwen, in his book With Burning Hearts, meditates on many lessons from the story of the two travelers on the road to Emmaus. This paragraph practically shouted at me:
“Foolish people,” [Jesus] said. “So slow to believe.” These words go straight to the hearts of the two men. “Foolish” is a harsh word, a word that offends us and makes us defensive. But it can also crack open a cover of fear and self-consciousness and lead to a whole new knowledge of being human. It is a wake-up call, a ripping off of blindfolds, a tearing down of useless protective devices. You foolish people, don’t you see—don’t you hear—don’t you know? You have been looking at a little bush not realizing that you are on the top of a mountain that offers you a worldwide view. You have been staring at an obstacle not willing to consider that the obstacle was put there to show you the right path. You have been complaining about your losses, not realizing that these losses are there to enable you to receive the gift of life.
In other words, slow to trust. “Slow to believe; slow to trust in the larger scheme of things; slow to jump over their many complaints and discover the wide spectrum of new opportunities; slow to move beyond the pains of the moment and see them as part of a much larger healing process.” Slow to trust in the Father.