A few days ago an elderly gentleman came into my office.  I first met Vernon in 1996.  He was almost seventy at the time, and arrived with an injury that he had received trying to break a horse! He was, and is, a man’s man.  I have never seen him work a horse, but judging by his strength as well as his soft, patient demeanor, I suspect that he has the ability to stare an angry, scared stallion in the face and coax him to the point of complete trust in this old world cowboy.

As happens to even the best of us though, the years have taken a toll on Vernon and he no longer has any horses.  His body is aging, his hearing is going, and his memory is fading.  As I prepared to end our visit, this man that has become like family looked me in the eye and said, “Doc, there’s something I have wanted to tell you.”  Vernon then proceeded to explain how over the last sixteen years he has prayed for me every night.  And then he did just that, he prayed … without solicitation, without fanfare, he just started praying that God would bless me and protect me and give me the skills that I need to care for my patients.  As he finished, I looked at this giant of a man, my eyes moist with emotion, and thanked him.  He said he just wanted me to know that before his memory got so bad that he couldn’t tell me himself.

The Vernons of the world -- those are the real heroes of our faith.  Those are the truest battle proven warriors.  They lay the ground work, advance the kingdom, and move the very hand of God; all without need for recognition or applause but rather simply because they know the power of prayer.  I have felt those prayers of my cowboy friend.  At times that I felt like just giving in but I stayed another day, during weeks and months of instability and uncertainty when suddenly hope was discovered, and during moments of indecision that somehow, miraculously worked out, those were the prayers that covered me.  I didn’t know it at the time and I realize that I can never prove it, but no matter, I know.

Thank you Vernon, and all of the others that have and will be praying for me as well as for the many other sons and daughters of the King out there.  They may be your doctor or your pastor, maybe a teacher, a co-worker, or a neighbor.  Son, daughter, mother, father; they all need our prayers, and it is those prayers that will carry them through even the worst of times. 

To the King,

David