Prayer because of the deaths in Yountville, California

My father “walked the perimeter”of our backyard with a gun when I was a child.
He was honored with medals, and given an education, but healing was slow —
mostly veteran to veteran or recovery group meetings.
From those memories I pray …

For holy places,
sanctuaries like Pathway House
that care for those
with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder,
I give the deepest thanks.

For those who work in them,
caring, listening,
strategizing daily tasks,
nurturing wellbeing
out of a center in brokenness,
and especially today
for the hope-giving lives of
Christine Loeber, Jennifer Golick,
and Jennifer Gonzales,
I give the deepest thanks.

For every veteran who seeks help,
for employers of veterans,
trainers of psychiatric service dogs,
families who learn
completely new patterns of living,
for counselors, psychologists,
social workers, nursing staff,
who embrace a life
of simple daily courage,
I give deepest thanks.

For the friends and families
of Jennifer, Christine and Jennifer,
in mourning today,
and for the friends, family,
and country of Albert Wong,
with tears and questions in their hearts
I pray for comfort and for grace. Amen