MURIEL
When I was a young girl growing up, a family with two daughters moved into the house across the street from us. Both the parents were crippled. The father was in a wheel chair and was in pain most of the time except in really warm weather. The mother, who had had polio, limped very badly bacause one leg was much shorter than the other.
We were drawn to them because of their circumstance, and we soon learned that this was a very special family. Muriel, the mother, worked in an office, but her husband could not work. The two daughters were in grade school.
Muriel was very tiny and frail-looking.... she probably didn't weigh more than 95 pounds.... and she walked with difficulty because one of her legs was much shorter than the other. But every morning, bright and early, she would go to her car and drive to work. We all wondered how she was even able to do this. On Sundays she would faithfully go to church.
She was always cheerful and would speak a positive word if we had conversation with her. There was much laughter in their house..... often we could hear them laughing. They had a humerous menagerie of pets.... a dog named "Clyde", which resembled a coyote and had funny-looking fur and a funny bark, a couple of cats, and a white duck named "Dewey".
My dad used to go and mow their lawn for them. Each time Muriel would try to pay him, but he would not take pay. She was careful never to lean on anyone, so when he mowed their lawn, she would bring him cookies, or a pair of dress socks, or just something to show appreciation.
One day, when I went to the corner grocery, I saw their younger daughter there. This was not unusual, except that we heard that the girl passed away from spinal meningitis just a few hours after I saw her.... How much more burden could one family bear....? It just seemed too much to think about. And yet, still, Muriel didn't waver or buckle under the weight of it.
Muriel had an inner strength and a positive attitude which inspired many.... the Lord was her strength.
"God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble."
Psalm 46:1 NKJ
© 2004 Arlene Schwartzkopf