Terri's Prayer: Dying to be Heard

Dear heavenly Father, so wise and merciful --
So compassionate and kind.
I lift this humble prayer to You
For those I've left behind.

For judges who followed procedure.
They used finely-tuned knowledge and skill
But overlooked the right to life --
Choosing NOT to save, but to kill.

For all of the leaders who didn't react
To divert a court-ordered death.
I cried but no one understood
And then I breathed my last breath.

Lord, I now understand what your son endured
As He was tortured, beaten and jeered.
That cup of cool water was so close to our lips
But slapped away as we had all feared.

I take refuge in the philosopher's words
That suffering is not meant as damnation
But rather an ointment from the Great Physician,
A prescription on the road to salvation.

I pray for those who work for the helpless;
They keep our society human.
Give them strength to fight for dignity and life
Through this fog of moral confusion.

For the weak, the disabled, the innocent --
These petitions go out to Thee
So that the works of my almighty God
Might be made manifest through me.

God gives each life a purpose;
We can't predict just how.
Brothers and sisters, this prayer is for you,
Can you hear me now?

Debra McCusker

(All Rights Reserved-Poem Not to Be Used Without Consent of Author)