“Fantastic Voyage”

My eight year old daughter Marie was in the TV room to other night when I came in and began flipping channels because…well, I can. I came upon the early part of the 1966 science fiction movie ‘Fantastic Voyage’ starring Steven Boyd, Rachael Welch, Edmond O’Brian and others. Marie has always had a very active imagination and became quickly fascinated at the miniaturation process they showed in preparing the medical team for entry into the patient. Without a doubt, she was going to watch this film.

Marie has been in a special educations program called ‘Target’ - a name which probably means something but I’ve been to busy to find out. It is for those students that have tested well above the average student. A couple of years ago Marie tested in the top 3 percent of her class. She has been in Target classes ever since.

From the beginning of her classes we have been inundated with school projects. Many of them in the field of science. I’m always somewhat cautious when my children are learning science because I want to be sure they understand that all things learned from science are in fact, gifts from God. I’m sure most of those that have dedicated their lives to the field of science have at least pushed aside God in their thirst for knowledge and understanding. Having watched to Science Channel on cable TV for some time now I can honestly say that God is truly a second thought, if thought of at all.

But for me, when I look at the Hubble Telescope images which are becoming imbedded in so many things these days, I see God! I see the fantastic work of the Almighty. And I want my children to understand, while there are ways to determine many things in this universe, that the universe is God’s to do with as He sees fit.

So here we are, Marie and I, watching this very scientific film discussing what we are seeing and how the body part works or interacts with other parts. Suddenly the medical team takes an unplanned turn (after all, it is a movie) requiring the them to divert from their planned path to the patients brain tumor and re-route their path through the heart! In order to accomplish this the doctors outside the patients body will need to stop the heart for enough time to allow the medical team to pass through the heart and continue on to the brain. Marie and I are watching with interest as the miniature ship is passing through the stopped heart when Marie says out loud, “Hey, where’s Jesus? I thought Jesus was in your heart!” I paused for a moment taking pride in the fact that at this age she seems to get that whole aspect of God and science. Then she turns from the TV to me and says with a wry smile, “That was pretty good huh Dad.”

I had to admit that was pretty good.

Modeling

My eight year old daughter Marie is a marvel to observe. Ever since she could hold a crayon she has been very imaginative in what she does. I’ve seen her build entire cities out of boxes that are delivered to the house. Complete with paper cut outs for people, details on the hand drawn windows include shades and a flower holder on the sill with lots of flowers. She is very creative and there is not a day that goes by that I haven’t in some small way marveled at her abilities.

Then there was this past weekend where she really pulled a fast one. You see, Theresa and I were on a mission to get Theresa a new pair of shoes. She had just been given new orthotics for her feet and her existing shoes were so worn that they offset the benefits the orthotics would provide. So on Saturday morning after our one hour adoration we set out to our second place of worship…the mall. Marie was in tow ‘cause we were going to buy her a couple of fish for her aquarium. As we bounced from shoe store to shoe store, Marie and I were playing goofy games while Theresa tried on some shoes. At our last stop Marie and I waited outside on a bench playing patty-cake. (Did you know there were tons of versions of patty-cake! Yikes!)

Anyway, after seeing that Theresa was having some success, I stopped patty-cake #1,460 to see how much longer she would need. That’s when Marie followed me in to the store and asked what I thought was an odd question. “Mom?” she said, “Is it ok if I model?” Theresa said that it would be ok. To my surprise Marie walked into the stores window display, grabbed a couple of shoes samples, held them in the palm of her hand and stood there modeling the shoes, slowly turning her head from one to another with a nice smile on her face.

I gotta tell you that this really says a lot about the girl. With her cleft lip and slightly deformed nose she stands there as if she is the most beautiful person in the whole wide world! What a gift to us parents!

To watch the people passing by was equally enjoyable. Some didn’t notice her. Others looked, smiled and continued. The really appreciative ones would pause for a moment and point her out to others. All the while Marie was un-phased by the attention or lack of it. Not one bit of insecurity in this girl I’ll tell you. I turned to Theresa and said, “Look at this girl!” Theresa’s response…”Oh, she does that all the time. She really enjoys it.”