Day 861: 5 Minute Freewrite: Friday - Prompt: toe jam

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With all the things he had to do on the weekend before the memorials for the 12,020 people in the Black and Latino communities who had perished in the Ridgeline Fire, Rev. Obsidian Stone had two things to constantly remind himself of:

1. He could not be too busy to pray
2. He could not be too busy to meet the needs of those around him

This was certainly true when it came to granddaughter Precious and grandson Goodly Stone, who bounced up on to his lap and nearly broke his chair while he was preparing to do some paperwork.

“Hey, Grandpa!” they said. “Can we ask you a question?”

“Of course, grandies.”

“Why have you been praying all the time lately?” grandson Goodly said.

“I mean, we hear you praying in the morning, and in the evening, and over all the food, but lately you look like a bobblehead doll grandpa,” granddaughter Precious said.

Grandpa Obsidian broke out laughing, and needed that laugh.

“Okay, so you know how if we go on a hike, I always tell you to take off your socks and put your feet out so I can wash them?” he said after he wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Yes, Grandpa,” said Goodly. “Gotta make sure there's nothing between our toes.”

“Yes – because the longer you walk, the more that toe jam can rub and get in the way,” Precious said, “and then your feet start hurting too soon.”

“Right,” said Grandpa Obsidian. “Not that your feet aren't clean, y'all, but a good grandfather always wants to check.”

“So, think about this. When you come to know God through believing on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior from sin, the Bible describes our life as a walk with God. That's a long walk for me; I am 60 years old now, and sometimes the walk is really difficult, like an uphill hike. My praying all the time is keeping the toe jam out of my mind, every time God the Holy Spirit nudges me to check my thoughts, my feelings, my attitudes.”

“That makes sense,” Goodly said.

“Keeping the toe jam out of the mind – another reason to pray,” Precious said. “Is that why you are always so nice and patient, Grandpa?”

“Part of the reason, by the grace of God,” Grandpa Obsidian said. “Life has hurt enough not to be hurting or hurting others just because I don't let the Lord keep my mind and attitude right – so, yes, Precious, that's why you have a bobblehead praying grandpa!”

“Hey, Grandma!” shouted Goodly. “Do you know that Grandpa has become a bobblehead?”

“Don't yell across the house,” Grandpa Obsidian said gently. “Why don't y'all go tell her?”

They ran off, and Grandpa Obsidian got back to his other work with a smile.

Photo by Ramesh Iyer on Unsplash