I don’t like to wait. Whether it’s at the doctor’s office, at a busy restaurant on a Saturday night, sitting in rush hour traffic, or waiting for water to boil when making pasta. Waiting is hard because it often causes stress, anxiety, confusion, sorrow, and even darkness.
But then, once we get through this wide range of emotions, there exists a feeling of peace, clarity, hopefulness, and joy.
Holy Saturday has two distinct emotions. The first is waiting. It’s keeping the vigil of Jesus in the tomb and longing and waiting for a new day to dawn. It’s similar to what we experience after the death of a loved one. There’s sorrow, pain, grief, and emptiness. There’s this constant darkness that hovers over us like a thick, dense fog as we wait for that cloud to lift.
The second emotion is joyful anticipation. Despite the sorrow and darkness that we experience today, we remember what Jesus told us – that he will rise! Our darkness will give way to light, our sorrow will be lifted, and we will be filled with abundant joy.
Waiting is hard. But the true gift of this day is found in the waiting and in the anticipation. If we want to truly understand what Easter is about, we must become one with the disciples and ponder this fact: Jesus died for each one of us. Jesus may be in the tomb, but he will be with us again. Death is not the end of the story. So, be patient – for what is coming is definitely worth the wait.
Help us to remember, Lord, as we wallow in our own fears and discomforts that you are still alive, even when we cannot see you. You know that waiting is hard, and yet you allow it so that your glory will be revealed in your perfect timing. May we rest in you, Lord, as we wait on what only you can do. ~Anonymous
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