Grace for the Good Girl by Emily P. Freeman

Author:Emily P. Freeman
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Baker Publishing Group

11

receive

on truth and trusting

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.

—Colossians 3:15

My favorite movie as a girl was The Wizard of Oz. I thought Judy Garland as Dorothy was the most beautiful girl I had ever seen. I idolized Dorothy. She was innocent, loving, and kind. That voice, that dress, that dog, those shoes! She had it all. Years later when I heard her described as chubby in movie commentaries, I was so confused. Chubby? Hardly. To me, she was perfect.

I’ve seen the movie countless times, to the point where I not only know nearly every line, I also know hand movements and head tilts. I own the collector’s edition hardcover copy of the script. I can sing the scene in Munchkin Land from the coroner to the Lollipop Guild. I know how to spot nearly all of the many goofs and bloopers, like how Dorothy’s dark, swiss-cake-roll pigtails change length from scene to scene and how props reappear in the wrong places.

In the ’80s, one of the networks always aired The Wizard of Oz on a Friday night in the fall. So every Saturday toward the end of the summer, I would find the TV Guide section of the newspaper and check the listings for the next Friday night. We had no VCR, no Blockbuster, no Hulu, no Netflix. If I missed it, that was it for a whole year.

Missing it was not an option.

I remember the night before the movie came on, my knees would ache and I couldn’t sleep for all the excitement. I loved the music, especially the quick, high-pitched chorus that played when the sojourning foursome first glimpsed the Emerald City right after the snow wakes them up in the poppy field: “You’re out of the woods, you’re out of the dark, you’re out of the night! Step into the sun, step into the light!”

I’ve thought about this movie a lot as I have grown up. The Scarecrow wanted a brain; the Tin Man, a heart. The Lion longed for courage, and all Dorothy wanted was to find a way home. They followed yellow brick roads, ran from flying monkeys, and even risked their lives to get the Wicked Witch’s broomstick just like the Wizard—who really was no Wizard at all—told them to. They did it all because they longed for something they did not have. In the end, though, we learn that they had it all along; they just didn’t know it. They worked, they chased, they strived, and they feared, all in an effort to get what they already had.

After all, the Scarecrow was often the one to devise the plans; the Tin Man rusted from crying real, heartfelt tears; and the Lion found the courage to save Dorothy, all before they received anything from the Wizard. Dorothy was the most obvious of all. She couldn’t take a step without being aware of those sparkly, ruby slippers. Still, when she

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