Lord Jesus Christ, help me to remember to be gentle and kind. Help me know what to say. What to do. Fill my heart with healing love, understanding and empathy.

Give me the power of a thousand angels to hold back my tears. My heart is broken, a wave of pain overwhelms me and I need to cry. Give me the strength to deal with everything so I don't have to worry about my baby. Help me find someone I can let my baby be safe with.

Help me answer my family's questions with the same amount of compassion that I would like for myself. Help me remember that it hurts them too. This is a burden on the whole family. My heart is not the only broken heart. We all need time to heal each other.

Inspire the creative side of my mind with solution-oriented thinking. Give me hope. Even if it's just a glimmer of hope. A parent can travel miles for a single flash. Let me see at least a glimmer of joy in the child's eyes.

Guide my hands and calm my mind as I do more tasks. Then help me start over whenever I need to.

Give me knowledge. Take me to the books I need to read, to the organizations I need to get in touch with. As you work through the people I meet in my life, help me recognize those who are eager to help me. Help me to trust the right people. Enlighten my right path.

Give me the courage to tell the truth; to know the truth of my child and to speak for my child when my child cannot do it for himself. Help me understand when I need to do for my child what my child is not able to do for himself. Help me recognize the difference between the two.

Help me to stand up to the stigma, fight discrimination as a true spiritual man, and remove ignorance and cruelty.

Keep my love for my family. Protect my marriage with the wisdom of love that has united us.

Lead us to the wonders of better medicine, better financial support, better services, safer housing, useful jobs and communities that care about us.

Give courage to my child and fill him with hope. Help my child remember that you love him and that he is never alone.

Amen