We'll be on our way to the airport in a few minutes.
Our dear friend is flying home for Christmas and it ought to be a time of great joy. She has not spent the holidays with her family and friends in her home country for seven years.  But the reason she is going back at this time is her sister has had a relapse of cancer and is not well.  This trip may be the last opportunity for our friend to see her sister, barring a miracle of the Lord.  I can't imagine the emotional trip of both anticipation and dread. Greetings and sorrow.
Two other friends of ours just arrived less than a week ago at this same airport.  They had spent ten months in Uganda serving with a mission organization.  They were greeted by their adult children and two precious grandkids, as well as friends and supporters.  What joy at that airport as they appeared at the top of the escalator and rode down, while their "fans" waited impatiently or rushed the bottom of the escalator to greet them!  Coming home for the holidays had a whole different meaning for these folks.
In just a few days our children will all be together under our roof once again and I can hardly wait!  I am baking, cleaning-well, not much cleaning yet!- and getting the Christmas ornaments and decorations ready for trimming the tree when they arrive.  No airport trip for us-they arrive by car!  But I can't wait for those headlights to beam around the corner of our street and for the long-awaited reunion to be a reality.
Today, I will shed some tears at the airport and send our friend on her way with a prayer.
Lord, hear our prayer.