My nephew Bryan is with the 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment which has been extended. We are so proud of him and were so looking forward to his coming home. Bryan is OK with the extension; he's not complaining at all. In fact he talks about possibly making the Army a career. This is a kid who hasn't even been out of high school 2 full years(graduated June 02).
His mother (my twin sister) is really upset in spite of Bryan trying to tell her he's cool with everything.
Today I gave money to a vet giving out poppies and collecting for disabled vets. I was about to tell him about Bryan (just because I'm such a proud aunt and love to brag about him) and I realized I was going to cry. I just gave the old man a bunch of 1's and never said a word. This isn't like me. I'm a former Army sergeant myself (hey, Bryan had to get "it" somewhere).
My 81 year old mother is the world's staunchest republican but I can tell even she is starting to question the Iraq situation though not in so many words. Again it's the extension that is getting to her.
She lost her first husband in Korea in '52 and last year my brother(Vietnam vet) was killed in a motorcycle accident on his father's birthday. My mother's first husband was his father.
On top of that my brother's widow and my other sister and her family are totally anti Bush.
All of this is really piling up on us.
I guess I'm typing all this just to get it out of my system. Please pray for Bryan and our family.
BELOVED FATHER IN HEAVEN,
We place before you Bryan, NEPA's nephew of the 2nd Armored Calvary Regiment, which has been placed on extended status in Iraq. Father, we understand that this young man is "cool" with the extension, and is even considering the military as a career. Grant him your guidance and knowledge of your Vision for his life. We also hear reported that the mother and grandmother are finding the extension very stressful, so we place before you his mother and grandmother and his entire family and ask for your Peace and Joy to be upon them.
We ask that you will grant this young man one of the prayer blankets we have been weaving together for each of our troops over the past year to supplement the golden chain mail armor which we visualize as the "whole armor of God." Wrap him in one of these blankets woven from our prayers and your love and the many qualities of your heart that we wish for him. Let him at all times have instant access to your love, protection, wisdom, courage, hope, health and healing, service, and mercy according to the need of the hour. Please assign him a team of angels who will guide, guard, direct, and protect him at all times, but especially in times of danger. Grant him quick reflexes and the ability to be nimble and move with the Holy Spirit out of harm's way if he is threatened.
We ask that you will surround this precious family who is holding vigil for him. Grant all of them peace, joy, and especially abundant Faith during this time of waiting.
We ask that NEPA will be enfolded. Please let him feel and know of a certainty that we are grateful for his past service as an army sergeant.
Comfort and heal the grief and the records of grief which Bryan's 81 year old grandmother and others in the family have endured. Let those former losses be soothed in this grandmother with the balm of your loving touch so that their pain is not being used to create hardship on her by dark forces while she is holding vigil for Bryan. Hold her in the highest light possible, and let the former things have no sway in her present condition. We mourn with her for the loss of her first husband in Korea. We mourn with her for the recent loss of her son to a motorcycle accident on his father's birthday. We ask that all pain of those losses be minimized and mitigated as much as your Great Law will allow.
We ask that any and all conditions within the family be healed which may be creating any sort of division or discord whatsoever. Let all family members be guided only by you as to matters of conscience and politics. Let none of that impinge at all on the mission which members of this family have in holding vigil for their young hero in Iraq.
Father, enfold Bryan's mother. Enfold this whole family, for separation from a loved one who is in harm's way is a very difficult challenge. This which we ask for Bryan, NEPA, and their family, we call forth for all who may be in a similar situation of need. Let only your divine Will be done. We thank you, Father, for we know that our prayers are heard. Thank you for being our loving, approachable Father. Thank you for being also the Mighty God which you are, and for whom all things are possible.
Amen