Heart Touchers

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{Straight From the Heart} *Still Water* 1/10/00

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STILL WATER

By David Sims

It was four years ago and one of those non-descriptive
days, not too hot, not too cold, just an average day. Still, I
remember it as clearly as the day President Kennedy was
shot, or when the Shuttle Challenger exploded on take-off.

I arrived at my destination but I don't remember the drive or
much of anything, other than seeing a few cars in the
parking lot. I lingered awhile and listened to one of eight
special songs I had copied together for a ceremony earlier
that week.

I opened my door and tried to compose myself before I
went into the building. I was there to pick up a package. I
don't know what I had expected but as they handed it to me
I thought it was too small. The clerk said, "Could you
please sign, here?" He handed me a clipboard. He gave
me the receipt and a copy of instructions.

I placed the package in the trunk so my wife wouldn't see it
in the car. Also, inside the trunk were some leftover
programs and some dried flowers that I had placed there
earlier in the week. My brother-in-law, a commercial
fisherman here in California, had reminded me several
times not to forget the flowers for the boat ride he had
arranged for the next morning.

The next morning came very quickly. My brother-in-law
asked if we could arrive at his boat around 5:00 AM,
because the trip we would be taking was going to be over
two hours in length. It was still dark as we arrived at the
dock. My father and a family friend who were invited for the
trip where there waiting as I arrived. My wife, Cindy, had
declined to go with us because she was going to stay with
our three children at home.

Streams of light were now showing in the east. We all
boarded as the boat engine roared to life. I handed my dad
the package and the dried flowers and jumped over the rail
onto the deck.

We started to move out between the docks and soon we
were heading toward the mouth of the harbor. When we hit
the open area just outside the harbor I expected rough
seas. What I saw was still water, the only waves visible
were the ones being made by the bow of our boat. The sky
was filled with a gray high level overcast.

We proceeded with a slow chug toward our destination,
the lighthouse high on the hill overlooking the point of the
peninsula. I prayed that I would be able to complete the
task that needed to be done. When we reached the
lighthouse, my brother-in-law turned the boat due west. I
went up onto the captain's deck to watch the rings on the
sonar system as they scrolled away from the point of the
peninsula. One mile, than two and finally three miles west
of the lighthouse. It was now the time to complete the task
we had journeyed out into the Pacific for that morning. He
cut the engine and circled the boat to keep our position.

I went down to the main deck where my father and friend
had been the whole trip. My dad held the package and my
friend, the flowers. I asked for the package that was
wrapped in plain paper with just one name written on the
side, "Derek." I opened the paper to see a purple bag
that contained a plastic box with a lid at one end. I pulled
out the box and removed the tape holding the lid and
looked inside. There, for the first time, I was looking at the
ashes of my 2-year-old son who had drowned in our pool
two weeks earlier.

I then moved to the back rail of the boat and asked my dad
to pray. My friend placed the flowers into the motionless
water. As my dad concluded the prayer, I poured the
contents of the box over the side. A whitish-gray cloud
formed a funnel shape down into the dark depths of the
ocean. At that moment from the northeast breaking through
that eerie calm was the most beautiful site I'd ever seen - a
pod of twelve dolphins, young and old, jumping through the
surface of the water in joyous celebration. Also, in perfect
style of a military fly-by for a distinguished officer, ten
pelicans flew past just a few feet off the glassy surface.

My prayers of that week were that God would show me how
to make this tragedy a celebration of my young son's life.
Through the use of some beautiful creatures and perfect
timing, God brought it all together.

Two years later still hurting from the loss of our son, we
were all in need of the joy a two year old could bring our
family. Cindy prayed that if God would provide a child we
could love he would fill a special place in our hearts.

That Sunday at church I had noticed a child I had not seen
before, around the age of two, who was very possessive of
the toys in the playground. Inquiring I found that he was a
child whose young mother could not properly care for his
needs after her husband had left.

He was now living with his uncle and aunt who were young
and had a six-month old son of their own. They were deeply
considering returning him to his mother. I wondered out
loud to his uncle, that if he were returned what would be his
plight. He informed me that his mother would most likely
send him to live with his grandfather in Guatemala. At this
time Guatemala was in deep turmoil. I could not bear the
thought of this child being sent to live in such chaos without
doing something. I asked his uncle if he could reach the
mother and have her call me.

The two years since putting Derek to rest, I lived in a state
of numbness. Nothing I had considered important in the
past, my executive position, friends, sports or even sadly,
my family, held any luster. I just had a hard time focusing
on anything other than this empty feeling in my life.

As I had asked, I got the call for the boys' mother. We
talked for a long time, I was very nervous and excited about
the possibility of working out the details and having another
new addition to our family. On a cool Thursday night, two
years of prayer were answered when Erick came to live with
us as our son.

Even though I was not looking for a replacement for the
son I had lost, Erick came into our lives at the right time.
The numbness is not completely gone but the emptiness
in my heart was replaced with a joyful two-year-old named
Erick.

Each time I felt that uneasiness and sorrow building up
inside, I would hug our newest gift from God and he was
able to bring back a calm like filling me with warm still
water.

Send David an email and let him know what you thought of his story!
*****************
David lives in Carson, California with his high school
sweetheart and wife of 22 years, Cindy. They have five
wonderful children and a large extended family. David says,
"I help others build financial freedom through starting their
own, low investment, part-time, Internet shopping
businesses. "You can reach his E-commerce web site at:
http://www.2by2.net/ecom
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REQUESTS:

From: emh67@hotmail.com (Montie Hickey)

I asked prayer a couple of weeks ago for my wife's family. Her aunt was
killed in a car accident on Christmas night, and I told everyone about her
uncle who was driving the car; he is still in the hospital, they were going
to pull life support last Friday, he was not responding and not breathing on
his own. All the family prayed for him the night before, and prayed for
Gods will in his life. His daughter drove to the hospital to see him. She
asked him to blink his eyes if he understood her. She asked him a couple of
questions and he blinked his eyes. She asked him if he knew if her mom had
died in the accident, and he had a tear roll down his face. She told him
that it was ok that her mom was gone. The next day we called and they said
he was doing remarkably better. They were getting ready to move him out of
intensive care and into a regular hospital room. What a miracle. Please
continue to pray for him and the family. He has a long way to go. This has
been hard on the family, they were very special people to us and the loss of
my wife's aunt has been very hard on all of us. They had just moved here
from out of state to be with my father-in-law. This is the first time he
has had any of his family live here with him. They were only here for 4
months. We all enjoyed spending the holidays with them, and expected to
spend so many more. Please pray for the family, and for Gods grace. Thank
You, Montie Hickey
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From: Dmdand3@aol.com

Blessings to all!

I requested prayer a few weeks ago for my daughter who has a tumor in her shin bone. Praise God that tests show no spreading to any other part of her body. But she will need to go through chemotherapy and major surgery to remove that part of her bone. This terrible illness has really shaken up our family, but we have faith in the Lord and know He is in control. Please continue to pray for us. Thank you.

Donna
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From: SQPC50@aol.com

Michael,
I am requesting prayer for a friend of mine and my husbands. He is a tanker truck driver (gasoline).
Last week he was unloading his fuel truck and getting ready to pull off the gas station lot. Another trucker was also there and had his seven year old son with him. He sent his son in the store to pick up a quart of oil for his truck. As the little boy came out of the store, he slid on some ice in the parking lot and went under the tanker of our friend as he was pulling out of the parking lot. Our friend did not see the little fellow and ran over him and killed him. Please have the readers pray for our friend (he was so upset, the hospital kept him for 2 days, knocked on medication). And please, have the readers pray for the family of their precious child. Needless to say, our friend (the truck driver) will never drive a truck again. Our heart goes out to both families. What a freak accident this was. We know that the child is with our heavenly Father but the family of the child mourns for their precious child and our friend is still under medication because of this freak accident. He has grandchildren the same age of this precious child and his cries constantly and says life is unbearable for him now.
Phylis Cranfield
SQPC50@aol.com
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From: alesia0011@excite.com (Lisa)

Michael:

First, thank you for posting my prayer requests in the past. The outpouring
of love and support from one of your subscribers has seen me through my
difficulties. I will not mention any names, but she knows who she is.

I ask for prayer that my father be accepted into the National Institute of
Health in Bethesda, MD. For those unaware, he has Stage IV renal cell
cancer and was told on Friday there is nothing more that they can do for him
here. This is basically his last chance at any treatment options that might
be available to him. I ask that you pray that God's will be done and that
he heal. If it is God's will that he be called Home, I ask for prayer that
his days remaining here on earth are peaceful and as pain-free as possible
and that, if and when he passes over, that he is at peace knowing that my
love for him transcends all space and time.
Thank you and may God bless each and every one of you this year and always.
Lisa

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Thought For The Day:

"I don't know why we are in such a hurry to get up when we fall down. You might
think we would lie there and rest awhile." - Max Eastman

Verse for the Day:

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside quiet waters, he
restores my soul." - Psalm 23:2, 3

Kid's Thought For The Day:

"It's not so bad if it is your turn to set the table. You can always give the funny
spoon to your sister!"

Parent's Thought For The Day:

"You know your children are growing up when they stop asking you where they
came from and refuse to tell you where they're going." - P.J. O'Rourke

Coach's Thought For The Day:

"Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance." - Samuel Johnson

Deep Thought For The Day:

A three-legged dog walks into a saloon in the Old West. He slides up to the bar
and announces: "I'm looking for the man who shot my paw."

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_
/_/\/\    MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ /    THUNDER27@aol.com
/_/ \    "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but
\_\/\ \   Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son
   \_\/   of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20

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video too! Thanks again!"
Kelli (RKaGe@aol.com) College Station, TX

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