In retrospect, it doesn’t really matter what I intended to write for today’s column. The notes I had made during the week and the anecdotes lodged in my frontal lobe were shaken from their place of importance when my son Geoffrey and I sat down to watch the news early on the morning of Aug. 16. It was then we learned of the assault on four St. John the Baptist Parish deputies which resulted in the deaths of Brandon Nielsen and Jeremy Triche and the hospitalization of injured deputies Michael Boyington and Jason Triche.

The news jolted my community, and almost every conversation I’ve engaged in since has included a reference to the tragedy. Sometimes, many times, I talk too much. Whether speaking to friends or praying to God, I use my ability to just go on and on filling up the empty spaces with more and more noise. The early morning shoot-out left even me at a loss for words. My heart still aches for the families and friends of the victims, for our Sheriff Mike Tregre and the men and women he leads and for our parish as we grieve. And at times like this, my prayers become very, very simple and are most often whispers of “help” amidst tears.

I didn’t need the command from 1 Timothy 2:1, 2 to remind me to pray, but the timeless instruction found in those verses bears repeating: “I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.  Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity.”

May our prayers for the victims, the families and our law enforcement only increase.

Ronny may be reached at rmichel@rtconline.com.