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{Straight From the Heart} *Holding Hands with Elizabeth* 3/2/01
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HOLDING HANDS WITH ELIZABETH
By Joseph Walker
Years from now, when I remember the movie "Cast Away," I will remember a compelling storyline, some extraordinary special effects and a remarkable performance by Tom Hanks.
But mostly, I'll remember holding hands with Elizabeth.
We went to see the film as a family, which is why I wasn't sitting by my wife, Anita. We have found that keeping 11-year-old Elizabeth and her 9-year-old brother, Jon, away from each other is the best way to keep them from killing each other in the dark. It isn't that they fight all the time; it's just that we never know when a fight is going to erupt. So we sit between them, and hope they never figure out how to launch Milk Duds at each other over the top of us.
Just a few minutes into the movie - and I hope I'm not spoiling this for anyone - there's a frighteningly realistic plane crash. In fact, it was a little too frightening and a little too realistic for Elizabeth's tastes. She leaned up against me, her head pressed against my shoulder, and reached over and took my hand, squeezing it tightly.
"It's OK, Sweetie," I said. "Remember, it's only a movie. Just close your eyes, and pretty soon it'll all be over."
And pretty soon it was. Within a few minutes the scary part was over for Elizabeth, and she was sitting up in her seat, happily independent, her hands busy with popcorn and soda.
It wasn't long, however, before another scary part came along. Only this wasn't a scary part for Elizabeth - this was a scary part for me. For as long as I can remember, I've been claustrophobic. You want to scare me to death? Put me in a crowded elevator - and then make it stop. So when Tom Hanks started exploring that cave, I started cowering in my seat. Heart pounding. Palms sweating. Afraid to look - afraid not to. And I'm thinking, "If there are any spiders or snakes in this cave, I'm outta here."
Suddenly I felt a hand reaching out in the darkness - a calm, steady 11-year-old hand, albeit slightly seasoned with salt and butter-flavored topping. It grabbed onto my hand firmly, squeezing reassuringly, as Elizabeth again leaned up against me, her head again pressed against my shoulder.
"It's OK, Daddy," she said. "Remember, it's only a movie. Just close your eyes, and pretty soon it'll all be over."
And pretty soon it was. Only this time, I didn't let go of Elizabeth's hand after the scary part was over, and she didn't let go of mine. We just sat there through the rest of the movie, holding onto each other and helping each other through the film's subsequent ups and downs.
That's how Elizabeth and I made it through "Cast Away." And it occurs to me that that's how we all make it through life, too. Although we like to think of ourselves as happily independent and self-reliant, when the scary parts of life come - as they always do, eventually - it's comforting to be able to lean against family and friends, to hear their reassurance that it's OK, and to reach out in the darkness to find a calm, reassuring hand.
With or without the butter-flavored topping.
Joseph Walker
ValuesCom@airswitch.net
Send Joseph an email and let him know what you thought of his story!
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Joseph Walker has been writing professionally since 1980, when he left
college to join the staff of a daily metropolitan newspaper. For 10
years -- including six as the paper's TV columnist and critic -- he was
part of the mainstream media, and was painfully aware of the
overwhelming negativity of contemporary journalism. Joe says, "Nobody
was looking for real solutions to the problems society was facing; they
were just looking for someone or something to blame the problems on." So
in 1990 Joe began writing ValueSpeak, a weekly syndicated column that
attempts to look at contemporary issues from the perspective of
traditional values. Joe and his wife, Anita, are parents of five
children, with their first grandchild due shortly.
You'll love his new book, "How Can you Mend a Broken Spleen!"
Ordering is simple and fast at the following Amazon address:
How To Mend A Broken Spleen
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1573453005/qid=972961681/sr=1-6/straighfromthe0a
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From the Email Box!
RE: Yesterday's poem *The No Hug Rule* 3/1/01
From: mcarey@greenwich.lib.ct.us (Maria Carey)
Michael,
Before I read the rest of this email along with the prayer requests and
updates, I pause to stop after the poem...maybe it is because I am a mother
and my children are grown...maybe it is because my boy is in the middle of
his basic training...maybe it is because Cheryl is such an excellent
poet...maybe it is because it hugs my heart with kindness...this is one of
the best poems that I have ever read in my whole life so far...thanks for
the blessings straight from my heart to you all.
Maria
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Thought For The Day:
"Hope is brightest when it dawns from fears."
Verse for the Day:
"He has delivered us from such deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we
have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us." --2 Corinthians 1:10
Toddler's Thought For The Day:
"If it is not trash, it must be thrown away. If it is in the trash, it must be removed,
inspected, and thrown on the floor."
Parent's Thought For The Day:
"Mothers of teens know why animals eat their young."
Coach's Thought For The Day:
"A good coach will make his players see what they can be rather than what they
are."
Deep Thought For The Day:
"The Miss Universe pageant is fixed. All the winners are from Earth."
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REQUESTS:
From: lhling@pc.jaring.my (Ma Nar)
Dear Michael,
Praise the Lord that you I have found this family whom I enjoyed reading
their sharings and poems. I have an urgent prayer request and I know our Lord listens Please pray for my younger brother Kho C.L. who is involved in a fight last
saturday. His involvement is he and another colleague tried to stop the
fight between his friend and another and regrettably the other party died on
his way to the hospital. His friend is now in the lockup. Please pray
my brother will not be charged as a suspect as truly he is trying to stop
the fight before the police came and the group dispersed. Please pray for our Lord's mercy on him and once again touch his heart. He has stopped worshipping our Lord for many years and I have always prayed that he will return to Him
Thank you.
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From: sogunsina@yahoo.com
Good Morning,
Please, I just want you to help me pray about my job, I really need God's intervention. they are busy processing our appraisals now.
I need God to help me, so that I can be promoted,
I have done all that's required of me so I leave
the rest with God.
Also , my brother needs God to help him
with his future. He is a bit down now, he needs
God to make a way for him and I know
there is nothing that is difficult for God to do.
Thanks
Rebecca
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From: joanna@solvingthepuzzle.com.au (Joanna)
Dear Michael,
I would like to make a request for a friend of mine named Carole Fenwick.
Carole was diagnosed with a brain tumor a few weeks ago. She had it removed but the biopsy revealed it was malignant and the most aggressive cancer one can have.
Only two people have survived this kind of cancer. Carole is currently starting a very intensive radium and chemo therapy treatment. This young mother of two children aged 11 and 13 is a very caring person and the whole family is very closeknit.
This ordeal is very traumatic for all of them and they are understandably very frightened. I believe that our Father in Heaven hears the prayers of his people all over the world and I ask your readers to both pray and send comforting messages to her.
We live on the Gold Coast in Queensland Australia. Please forward messages to my E-Mail address and I will see that Carole receives them. Thank you for providing this wonderful service for people in great need. Kind regards, Joanna.
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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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