God Bless the Humans

I can't remember when I started doing it or when I stopped, but at some point in my life, I would pray when I saw an ambulance on the road. The siren cutting through the peace of the day or night was a sound that could only mean sorrow for a family somewhere. With each turn of the flashing lights, I would send a prayer out that whoever was hurt would heal. That the drivers would make it to the hospital in time. That the doctors would know how to treat them properly. That if there was loss there would be strength. That their families would feel peace and comfort.

It has been many years since that happened. My prayers now are usually disorderly thoughts that tumble against each other as they fight their way towards God. Last night Jared was in the car with me, and we saw an ambulance. It was all lights, no siren. You could see a woman inside with an oxygen mask. And, I remembered that I used to really pray.

I remembered one day, when Jared was four almost five, he spotted an ambulance through his window in the back seat.

Before I could say anything, his earnest voice reached my ear.

"Dear Jesus," he prayed, "please bless the humans."