{"id":3466,"date":"2021-08-17T19:58:00","date_gmt":"2021-08-17T19:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/?p=3466"},"modified":"2025-05-09T20:00:51","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T20:00:51","slug":"grandma-jemmas-prayers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/2021\/08\/17\/grandma-jemmas-prayers\/","title":{"rendered":"GRANDMA JEMMA\u2019S PRAYERS"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Prayer is not an old woman\u2019s idle amusement.  Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action. <\/em> Mahatma Gandhi<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMornin\u2019, Lord.  I\u2019ll make this short and to the point, Jemma prays.  I love ya\u2019 and much appreciate what You done for me.  I\u2019m sure glad I woke up with the sun still shinin\u2019 on this ole\u2019, but smooth, face of mine (hee-hee) and walkin\u2019 as best I can after all these years run by me.  Whew!  My purple tulips opened up yestidy, but I guess you\u2019d know \u2018bout that, huh?  Glad my eyes still workin\u2019 so I can see yo\u2019 magic when it comes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gotta ask for a whole lot of forgiveness this mornin\u2019, Lord.  My great grandson disrespectin\u2019 his teacher like he did.  Scared that po\u2019 chile to death blowin\u2019 up in that   place like some storm or somethin\u2019.  I grabbed him by the throat – loosely though. Wasn\u2019t tryin\u2019 to kill my own blood!  Guess I gon\u2019 and don\u2019 some things right, though.  You still lettin\u2019 me have my ice-cold Pabst Ribbon and all.  I do \u2018preciate all my childrens and the puppies Gladys just had.  Lot of good memories, Lord.  Lot of mean ones too, but I\u2019m gonna thank ya\u2019 for \u2018em all.  Want folks to know ya\u2019 like I do; like my mama knew ya\u2019.  Don\u2019t take much but sometimes I don\u2019t understand your thinkin\u2019.  But guess that\u2019s none of my business, huh?  Folks jus\u2019 gotta see how ya\u2019 work things out, and ya\u2019 do do that!  But would ya\u2019 do me another big favor?  Would you do something with the devil\u2019s brothers down there in Kentucky and South Carolina.  Those are the craziest white boys I ever seen!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I thought it might be appropriate at this juncture in this world of insanity, malice, greed, corruption, divisions, and enormous racial disparities to introduce you to 85-year-old Jemma Alexander.  Indeed, there\u2019s no one like her; such a delightful and inspiring enigma.  She talks to God like HE was sitting next to her sharing in her favorite meal of deep fried catfish, coleslaw, mac and cheese, and hush puppies.  Grandma Jemma was a bright star in everyone\u2019s life who met her.  They fell in love with her quirky, yet very wise persona.  This very sagacious matriarch instructed her loved ones to call up the \u2018real stuff inside them, meaning reserved power.  Definitely need it when we\u2019re boxin\u2019 with the satan\u2019s goliaths.  Our families, our children, our teachers, our President and Vice-President need Jemma\u2019s spirit of faith, love, and hope now more than ever before.   <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOur babies are all shook up, Lord.  And now they goin\u2019 back to school.  How they gonna\u2019 learn somethin\u2019 with so much stuff happenin\u2019 \u2018round them?  Folks betta\u2019 be talking to YOU so you can help them; help us all.  My great grandbabies so far behind in their book learning.  Kind of on purpose if you ask me.  Those babies scared, too.  Hear poppin\u2019 sounds close and \u2018fraid they might get hurt.  But I knows betta than to ask YOU for an explanation!  Just gotta\u2019 trust ya.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the last gulp of her nightly beer, Jemma would slowly stand up to stretch, look up at the blanket of sparkling stars covering the dark skies, and say, \u201cThank you, Lord.  That was pretty dog gone good!  I know, she would say with a giggle.  Ain\u2019t no beer drinkin\u2019 up in heaven.  I know you ain\u2019t gonna stand for that kind of carryin\u2019 on in YOUR  house.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This remarkable sage had few inhibitions and never hesitated saying exactly what was on her mind.  \u201cI don\u2019t want anyone to misinterpret what I intended to say.\u201d    After she had been blessed to live 75 years 10 years ago, her forthrightness included boldness with the Lord, too! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Throwing her head back, surprisingly still full of long, salt and pepper coarse hair and laughing hardily, Jemma took her declaration another step forward.  \u201cI\u2019m on my way outta here!  I\u2019m goin\u2019 enjoy what I want, when I want, while I can!\u201d  It has been said life can be a simple as love and prayer.  Where the two mingle, there can be no jealousy, resentment, or fear.  Could the miracle of become a person of prayer begin with just two words:  thank you?\u201d        <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt’s me again, Lord.  Come reportin\u2019 that it was a pretty good day.  Went down to the Center today to shoot the breeze with some of my old buddies and have my favorite catfish dinner.  Loves my catfish, Lord.  Ya\u2019 know I do!  65 years some of us been knowin\u2019 each other.  That\u2019s really somepin\u2019.  And some of them been there for me, you betcha.  Whipped Reggie in some dominoes, too!  He gets so mad when he loses to this old lady.  They should know by now that I\u2019m the Queen of the \u2018Bones\u2019.  (Hee-hee)   Took some of my buttermilk fried chicken and collard greens to Fanny Louise yestaday.  Know she ain\u2019t got too many days left down here; that she\u2019s on her way comin\u2019 to meet ya\u2019.  Wanted her to enjoy a lil\u2019 sumpen\u2019 real good fo\u2019 she made that trip!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just think we all gotta pray a bit harder now, Lord.  This world\u2019s goin\u2019 plum stupid thinkin\u2019.   If somethin\u2019 don\u2019t give, we ain\u2019t goin\u2019 have no chil\u2019ren to grow up to be man and woman.   Most of \u2018em don\u2019t even know who Ya\u2019 are anymore.  That\u2019s the problem!  We need your help to fix this stuff!  Gonna do what I can to save my own.  If I have the time, I\u2019ll try and save a few more that don\u2019t even belong to me, too!  I want it betta for them than I had it.  Now don\u2019t go to thinkin\u2019 I\u2019m not happy to be here, though.  I\u2019ve had some real good times.  \u2018Hee-hee\u2019.  Maybe sometimes too good a time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eyes a closin\u2019 so I guess it\u2019s time to go.  Gottta\u2019 big day tomorrow.  Goin\u2019 sing in the choir caus\u2019 it\u2019s Christmas.  I like those old songs, Lord.  Somethin\u2019 \u2018bout a Silent Night.  Snowed today again.  Kind of quiet and pretty and all.  Saved that runt puppy.  Named her Billie after Billie Holiday.  Ya\u2019 might have to take care of another problem for me.  Ya\u2019 know I don\u2019t sit \u2018round watchin\u2019 my roses bloom or playin\u2019 with puppies.  And sometimes I cross the line.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your life, your mission is what you make it.  Only those who are expectant of good tidings and demonstrated active faith will bring the manifestation to pass.  Glad you got a chance to meet one such example in that of Jemma Alexander.  She always makes me smile and gives me hope.  Let us pray deeply and diligently with all our hearts that an army of dedicated, compassionate warriors with the right intentions and power can unite and help bring about a \u2018loving\u2019 change in this very sad and deeply (Divided States) of America.  Let us pray more caring adults will recognize we must do far better for our children.  They certainly deserve a fighting chance!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEvery word we speak is a prayer coming into reality.  I can, I am, I will, I choose, I have, I love, I create, I enjoy.\u201d  Robert Tennyson Stevens<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adaptation excerpt: \u201cBa\u2019al Perazim\u201d by Jetta Dya Jones<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prayer is not an old woman\u2019s idle amusement.  Properly understood and applied, it is the most potent instrument of action.  Mahatma Gandhi \u201cMornin\u2019, Lord.  I\u2019ll make this short and to the point, Jemma prays.  I love ya\u2019 and much appreciate what You done for me.  I\u2019m sure glad I woke up with the sun still shinin\u2019 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[1881,208,205],"class_list":["post-3466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-columnists","tag-author","tag-lords-prayer","tag-prayer","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3466"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3467,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3466\/revisions\/3467"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/apexsamplework.com\/insightnews\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}