Why I Pray

At a certain point...
when every emotion converges...
or every cloud darkens...
or every thought stops...
what else is there really... but prayer?

I was born into a religion, as are most of us.
And over the years, I have observed children tend to follow the religious faith of their parents.
Some stay with it... some stray.
Yet at some point in our lives, we pray.
Today... I pray.

I pray for the little boy by whose case I just wrapped the investigation on.
He was killed by driver who was so drunk he had no clue what he did.
I interviewed grieving family and witnesses...
and photographed yet another  graveside memorial, one of so many captured by my cameras over the years, I could not count them all.

Today... I pray, for the souls of the deceased who deaths are less defined...
like the homicides disguised as suicides, heinous acts committed by wolves in sheep's clothing.
Today... I pray, for the wounded, injured people I see in my business life.
And the tattered warriors, the family and friends  in my personal life...
people I know, love, have held... who are hurting so deeply inside.
Too many were taken from me before I saw it coming, before I got to say good bye.

Sometimes, in my head.... the boundaries....
they blur.
Like this morning.
There's so much pain floating around.
It is indeed hard, on some days, to just get up and get out there on the streets and see one more broken body.
One more shattered dream.
So here's what I do on days like this.

I pull my car, or my body over.
I shut the engine off.
I close my eyes.
And I pray.

When everything goes out of focus in your life...
(and it will, because it always does)
consider looking inward...
and pray.
It may or may not change things.
It may, however, make you feel a little less powerless.
It make give you the strength to pick yourself up, dust yourself off and begin another day.

I heard the song above yesterday on my rounds.
It came just at the right time.
I hope you see in it... what I do.