Special Intention

The Best Man from our wedding called from the West Coast last night. He heads to the Persian Gulf Region in a very short time, to a place well-known to Saddam but that he couldn't say to me. (Even though, since I read newspapers, I know full well where it is. Security is a weird, weird thing in government.) He has two worries: his plane getting shot down as it tries to land; and getting "slimed." I love the bravado in calling a chemical or biological attack on his person "sliming," but I wish to God that weren't on his mind as a serious possibility. (Ask all the idiot "human shields" who deny Saddam is a threat what their plans are when the slime starts flying. Probably the Iraqis will blow them up themselves, and then place the casing from a cruise missile at the scene, as they did in 1991.)

To make matters worse (in a small, but irritating way) he is due to be promoted to Major next week, but will not get the cameraderie and ceremony that is his due because he will not be with his current unit. The Inflexible Bureaucracy denies a brave young man, with a wife and two smal children, one small measure of comfort and recognition, even as he goes off to what is surely one of the most prominent terror and military targets in the world.

Please keep "Holmie" (as he is universally and ironically known, he being as WASPy as WASPy get) in your prayers. His wife Pam, and children Katie and Colin, too. They are only one family out of hundreds of thousands being disrupted and potentially destroyed, and all the families need prayers. But if you would toss in a small extra for the Holmes family, I'd appreciate it.

Almighty and most merciful Father, we humbly beseech Thee, of Thy great goodness, to restrain the storm which threatens. If more fighting is to come, graciously hearken to our soldiers who call upon Thee that, armed with Thy power, they may advance from victory to victory, and crush the oppression and wickedness of our enemies and establish Thy justice among men and nations. Amen.