122° In Full Combat Gear

By Paul J. Shlichta

We generally think of Memorial Day as a time to remember and pray for the men and women in the armed services who died for their country -- that is, you and me. We think of the end of Saving Private Ryan and wonder, as we have many times before, whether we were really worth dying for.

But this is also a day for remembering the hundreds of thousands of men and women who are even now risking their lives for us, as well as enduring privations and hardships we can scarcely imagine. Therefore, although I usually pay no heed to prayer chains, I felt compelled to pass on this (slightly edited) e-mail, which I received yesterday:

_____________________________________________________

God Bless and Protect Them

Here is the current weather forecast for Iraq:

MON
TUE
WED
THUR
MAY 26
MAY 27
MAY 28
MAY 29
122° / 91° F
122° / 92° F
121° / 95° F
120° / 95° F

It is 122 degrees in Iraq right now! Our troops need our prayers for strength, endurance, and safety. May God' give these men and women the strength they need to prevail.

Of all the gifts you could give US soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the best one. This is a prayer chain for our military; please don't break it. When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops around the world.

Please send this on after a short prayer. soldier

Prayer

Lord, please hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us. Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need.

Amen.