Mother’s Ritual

If you are reading this while waiting for medical test results, you may be frightened.

Perhaps you are in hospital right now.
Perhaps you have gone home and are waiting for a phone call.
Or perhaps someone you love is the patient, and all you can do is wait.

Waiting can be difficult because there are so many questions and so few answers.

You don’t need to find the perfect words to speak to God.

You can simply pray with me.

Let Us Pray

Dear God,

I am here.

And I am scared.

I don’t know what these results are going to say.
I don’t know what tomorrow will look like.
And my mind keeps taking me to places I don’t want to go.

God, please stay close to me while I wait.

When my thoughts start racing, calm me.

When fear tells me that the worst is going to happen, help me remember that right now, I do not have all the answers.

Give me the strength to face the truth when it comes, whatever that truth may be.

Please guide the doctors, nurses and everyone involved in my care.

Help them to see clearly.
Help them to understand what is happening in my body.
And give them wisdom as they decide what needs to happen next.

God, I also pray for the people who love me.

I know they may be frightened too.

Give them strength when they don’t know what to say.
Comfort them when they feel helpless.
And help us to be there for one another.

Tonight, I give You the questions I cannot answer.

I give You the thoughts that keep going around and around in my head.

I give You my fear.

I give You tomorrow.

And for this moment, God, help me just to breathe.

One breath.

One moment.

One day at a time.

Whatever comes next, please walk with me through it.

I am not asking myself to be brave every second.

I am simply asking for enough strength for the next step.

Thank You for hearing me when I pray quietly.

Thank You for hearing me when I cry.

And thank You for hearing me even when I have no words left at all.

Stay with me while I wait.

So it is.