Let us pray.....

Dear Heavenly Father as I come to you now in a time of quietness, please hear my prayers. First please forgive me for where I have fallen short of the glory of God and where I let you down in my daily walk. And please forgive me where I have not been a beakon for you, shining your light to others. Please Lord forgive me of my sins so I may come to you in prayer with a clean heart and mind.

Next Lord, I want to thank you for this day. Thank you for letting me wake up to live another day on this beautiful earth you created. Thank you for everything you've done for me Lord. Thank you for keeping me safe through the night. Thank you that no mortars landed on the base last night while we were sleeping. Thank you no rockets or bullets made it on the FOB. And thank you that this morning when roll call was called each and every name was followed by a "hooah" and no one was lost during the missions yesterday or last night. Thank you for keeping my family safe so far away. And thank you for keeping my brother safe in a foreign land not far from here. Thank you for all the blessings and all of the great things you are doing and are going to do in my family's lives and my own.

Next Lord I pray for the brothers and sisters around me. I pray for the Soldiers that I work with everyday. Give us the strength, the knowledge, and the courage to the best we can each day as we carry out our mission. I pray for the Soldier that is going through a divorce. Help her Lord, help her to see what you want....help her to make the right decisions and please hold her in this trying time so far from home. I pray for the single Soldiers that although they may not have kids or a spouse back home, they still left loved ones behind to be here with us. As it may be the first time they have been this far away from their parents and loved ones. Help them through the stressful times, sleepless nights, and painful days here alone. Also please Lord, be with their parents and families. The countless moms and dads worrying about their sons and daughters. Bless them too Lord. Give them peace and understanding. Hold them close as they too have had an incredible feat to overcome knowing that their precious little babies are in a war torn country with endless possible outcomes. Hold them close Lord....bless them with reassurance that their sons and daughters will come home safe. I now pray for the two men who left their wives and children. Take them in your hands and hold their hearts close to yours as they carry a strong face but inside they must be saddened by not getting to hold the precious children they love so much. Help them each night as they lay down for bed not to be troubled or loose sleep because they couldn't tuck their little angels in and kiss them goodnight. Be with them as they lay there cold and lonely without the warmth of their spouse to keep them warm. Warm their hearts dear Lord in absence of their loved ones. Give them rest so they may be able to have the energy they need the next day to lead us into whatever situation may arise. And I pray for their wives that they too will be held close to you. For they will need your strength as well. They will need your help as time passes to cope with their other half being gone for so long and being so far away. Thank you Lord. Thank you for the spouses that support what thier loved ones are doing. Thank you for the undying love and devotion they have for their spouses. Thank you for their words of encouragement. Please help them to understand why we have to be gone. At first it may be easy, but time will make their hearts and minds grow weary and lonely. Please help them understand that it is for the better that we travel so far, and do the things we do. Again Lord, please bless the Soldiers around me and their families. They need your reassurance. As do I. Please take care of my family. Keep them safe in their day to day so that I may return and enjoy many great things with them.

Lord I pray now for those who do not understand. I pray that you open the hearts and minds of those close to us....and those we do not know at all. I pray that you will open their hearts and minds to see that we are here by choice. Help them understand we made the choice to stand for our country when others wouldn't. Help them understand that it is not easy for us to be away from our families. Help them to understand that it is hard to be away from those we love so dearly. If they only tried to understand that it's not easy missing a year of our children's lives. It's not easy to hear....it's not easy to hear a voice on the other end of the phone and not turn over to go to sleep without first shedding some tears into the pillow because our hearts are melting. Help them understand that we love pictures....if pictures were only pictures...a picture....but it's so much more than a piece of paper with some printing on it.....it's memories that we missed out on....memories of the ones we love the most......growing up, grinning with birthday cake from ear to ear, having fun finger painting, smiling, blowing bubbles, playing in the water of a front yard kiddie pool, walking a dog, blowing a kiss to the camera, getting hugs from grandma and grandpa, running in the yard chasing a soccer ball, posing for the camera with one had on her face as if to be saying "pa where's daddy?"......help them understand that what we do is not easy. Help them understand it's not easy watching a 4 year old grow up in pictures. It's not easy seeing the family sitting around for dinner at a big table with a home-cooked meal and a glass of wine. Those are memories and times we'll never get to a be part of. We can't get that time back.....we can't get that time back!!.....BUT Lord, although it may not be easy for us, let them see that the pictures, the phone calls, the letters, the emails, the packages....they are what keep us going. They are the motivation that keeps us up when the world is down. It is those things that make days go by quicker so we can go to the mail room at exactly 1800 everyday to see if anything has our name on it. It's those things that make us stay after work for an extra two-three hours so we can call home at just the right time. It's those things that make us get up two hours early for work so we can chat on the internet when our loved ones get home from work and it's 0300 over here. It's all those things........all the things that keep us driving forward even though they tug at our hearts from time to time. And most importantly help them understand that we do this for them. It's not for me. It's not for a cause. We are here for them. We're not war junkies....it's about the man next to you. It's about the 2 year old nephew in Ohio that has no idea what we're doing but his life and future will no dought be changed by what is happening right now....it's for the two girls that graduated high school last week and the local news broadcasted it online so their dad could watch....it's for the waitress working to put herself through college....it's about our moms and dads that want to live out the rest of their lives in peace and confidence that they will continue to be free and live the retired life they've always wanted....it's about......it's about a nation that was ruled by a dictator and threatned our country....it's about the people we help everyday become a little closer to "freedom". It's not about us Lord. Lord help them understand. Help them understand it's about them.

Forgive them Lord. Forgive those who have foolishly lashed out and made harmful comments and statements about the brave young men and women that do their best to keep a free nation free. Forgive them for the bad things they say. Forgive them for their lack of understanding of why we do what we do. And when they do lash out, let it not hender or disrupt our ability to complete our mission. Help us to be strong and courageous. Help us to understand them Lord just a little bit better so when they do lash out we'll understand it's only out ignorance and lack of heart for those that put their lives on the line everyday....for them.

Lord I ask again that you protect us. Keep us safe from harm. Give us a clear head to think with so when the going gets tough, we'll remember who to lean on for understanding and guidance. Please keep us safe Lord so we may return to those we love with honor. Lord thank you again for everything you do for us. I love you, and I trust in you for my future for whatever happens I will always know it is your will.

I ask and pray all these things in your name Lord, Jesus Christ

Amen

Somewhere in Iraq
SGT Wormy
1693