A grandmother's prayer for boot camp

The wake-up call came as surely as if I’d set my alarm clock — but I hadn’t.

Alert and aware of the depth of the night, my thoughts turned with urgency and focus on my grandson, Justin.

More specifically, I felt impelled to pray for his feet.

Odd. A bit weird. An out of the ordinary notion. Even so I began to pray, the image of pain heavy on my heart.

It had been more than a month since Justin joined the Army and headed East for basic training. Communication had been sparse. In recent weeks, there's been silence. It was all part of the military experience.

So why was I awake at this nighttime hour pleading with God? It felt as if I’d received a directive to cover Justin’s feet with a blanket of prayers.

I smiled in the darkness. It seemed like only yesterday when those wiggly feet and toes — so tiny at the time — had peeked out from underneath a soft flannel, “little piggies” waiting to be counted amid a cascade of giggles. But now he was a man with a commitment to his country.

Believing my support was needed, I asked for blessings on my unusual prayer request. Within the hour sleep enveloped me, my mind at peace.When the telephone rang the next day with my daughter, Traci, on the line, I asked if she’d heard anything from Justin.

“Mom," she said, her voice filled with concern, “I just found out that he rolled his ankle yesterday, and it's pretty sore.”

I told her how I’d felt strongly the night before that I should pray for Justin’s feet, not his ankle. Still, maybe it was all one in the same.

No, not really.

This past week, the Army physicians discovered that Justin's continuing pain was the result of fractures in both feet. He’s been ordered to stay off of them for 30 days.

In light of this recent news, I can’t help but reflect on this scripture: "Let Him have all your worries and cares, for He is always thinking about you and watching everything that concerns you." (2 Peter 5:7 LB)

Even at boot camp in the middle of the night.

This story was originally published August 5, 2010 at 10:59 AM with the headline "A grandmother's prayer for boot camp."