One Prayer Away by Kendra Norman-Bellamy

achievement than being called by God to worship through the ministry of dance?”
    Mitchell felt more ashamed than he dared to reveal. Chris’s analogy wasn’t what he’d meant, but it was exactly what his words had suggested. Mitchell wanted to try to explain himself in greater detail, but he didn’t think it would do any good. No one could truly understand his line of thinking. Not even Chris, who Mitchell saw as the man who could understand him more than anyone.
    Since he’d seen Virtue, Mitchell had come to believe that unless a man had walked in his shoes, lived his life, lost his battles, and committed his sins, he couldn’t truly understand his pain. The pain that Mitchell carried was the type that never truly went away. It left in seasons, but it always returned to remind him of the man that he’d once been, the man that forces of evil still wrestled to make him return to. Each time the pain of Mitchell’s past revisited him, the hurt was deeper; and every time it faded, it left more questions for him to battle through.
    Rubbing his palms over his eyes as though they had suddenly been splashed with acid, Mitchell tried to wipe away the memories of yesteryear. He hated that he couldn’t totally rid himself of the flashes in his head that reappeared every time he allowed himself to dwell on the past. The clips of the nights he’d drink until he literally passed out; the days he didn’t have enough drive to get out of his pajamas; the weeks and months that his existence defined
wretched
; the morning he struck Virtue for the first time; the day the love in her eyes turned to fear; the evening he struck her for the second time and lost her forever . . . all of these haunting memories were the ones that God, for some reason, hadn’t erased when He freed Mitchell of the habit that had been the cause of them all.
    â€œMitch!” Chris reached out and used force to pry his friend’s hand from his face. He’d been calling Mitchell’s name for the past several moments, but Mitchell had been too deep in his tormenting thoughts to hear him. “Mitch, that’s enough,” Chris said while forcing Mitchell to look athim. “You’ve done about all you can do with this for now. You’re gonna make yourself ill if you keep this pattern of yours going much longer. You’re not getting enough rest, and eventually that’s going to start affecting every aspect of your life, including your job. We’ll talk about this some more later, but right now you need to get your mind off of your indecision where Virtue is concerned and on to matters that are easier to work through. We’re approaching the end of the year, man, and you know we have a lot to get done before the clock strikes midnight on the thirty-first. I know finding your ex and apologizing to her is important to you, Mitch, but you need to step back from it for a few days, maybe even a few weeks. If you get sick over this, you’re going to be no good to anyone, including Virtue.”
    â€œI know,” Mitchell replied, wiping his forehead and shaking his head to clear it. “I’ve been trying to concentrate on the stupid portfolios. I’ll get them done.”
    â€œDang skippy, partner,” Chris said. “You can call these folders any kind of name you please, but remember that completing them is what keeps our doors open and what pays our bills. This company was founded by the blood, sweat, and tears of Willie James Jackson Jr., and he prided himself in professionalism and prompt service. I continued his legacy for nearly two years all by myself, and when I brought you in I did so with the assurance that you’d keep this business’s reputation a priority. And the only way you can do that is by completing these
stupid
portfolios.
    â€œNow, I want you to find Virtue and clear your conscience just as much as you do, Mitch, but not at the expense of