Holy Saturday Waiting

Over the last few days I have been asked repeatedly when SK and William will be in for Easter, and I've had to reply, "They're not coming home this year." Sometimes there is silence; sometimes there is a hug; sometimes there is "I am so sorry." See people close to me know (okay you don't have to be close to me I pretty much announce it to the world), a) how important having my family around anytime is and b) how important having them for Easter is. But this year they couldn't make it work, and the truth is I've felt sorry for myself.

I have spent time today getting things ready for tomorrow--placing the Easter baskets out to be filled and hidden, setting the table, picking up the lamb for Chris to grill, making the my pies, and trying not to think about it. But I can't stop thinking about it...

I can't stop thinking about today being Holy Saturday and how most of us live most of our lives in Holy Saturday--a time of waiting. Yes there are times we live Good Friday days--days of unbearable grief and pain, and there are also times we live Easter days--times of great joy. But many days are just in between and days of waiting--waiting for jobs, college acceptances, retirement, diagnosis, friendships, love and the list goes on.

I thought about the waiting for me right now--waiting until the time we're all together again which I know won't be long and then my heart went back to Good Friday and I began to think about other mothers' waiting....

Waiting for the pain of losing a child you sent to school and he/she never came home to lighten

Waiting to reconcile with a child

Waiting for addiction to stop

Waiting for court dates

Waiting for a soldier to return home

Waiting beside a hospital bed as death slowly creeps in the door

Waiting for a diagnosis and hoping it won't crush you

Waiting to get pregnant

Waiting for your child to find a friend

Waiting for you child to confide in you

Waiting for your child to stop hurting

Waiting for your child to start eating

Waiting.....

Holy Saturday is a time of waiting but because we know Easter has and will come, we wait with hope--an active hope that knows no matter how hard the waiting is, how painful, how lonely, God is at work in the world around us. So instead of wallowing in my own sadness, I decided to continue my preparation with that hope filling my heart--hope for all waiting.

Yes tomorrow I will miss having SK and William around the table, but we've filled their spots with close friends, and yes I will miss having 4 children hunt their Easter baskets, but I've already sent SK's and William's to them and maybe they can convince their roommates to hide them (now that isn't Christian hope but rather wishful and probably never going to happen hope....). And tomorrow as we celebrate Easter, I will also say a special prayer for all mothers everywhere waiting.