BEAUTY IN SMALL THINGS

by Mariane Holbrook

I love tiny things. I look for the smallest seashells along our sandy shore, studying the intricacies of their unique design. Walking through the deep woods, I search for the miniscule flower peering shyly from under a sodden leaf, the fragrance from its satin petals begging to be inhaled and stroked.

God has a way of sending into our lives precious people who are not lettered, who don't claim great fiduciary success, who haven't noticeably impacted the world of society nor do they seek to imitate it.

A little wildflower appeared in my life last year through the wonders of the internet. Small in stature, somewhat shy, but struggling to carry the uneven, cumbersome burden that Multiple Sclerosis placed on her frail shoulders, this wood nymph reached out to me for friendship and love.

Darlyne, (pronounced "Darlin' by her natural mother who lovingly raised her and saw her ailing child safely into adulthood), knew early in life the pain of this dreaded disease. In her teens, Darlyne knew the torment of being misunderstood by the world of medicine. Loneliness became her bedfellow; weakness, her unwelcome companion.

Darlyne's mantle is both bravery and courage. When her mother was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer and said her final goodbyes, Darlyne's faith in God dug fiercely into even deeper root. She wiped away her tears with the soft fabric of God's love that He had firmly and tenderly wrapped around her years before.

Today, she spends many hours each day in bed, swallowing copious amounts of pain medicines, trying to surround herself with music and literature to enlarge her narrowing world and give her hope. Her prayer life is legendary.

There are three things we all require in order to survive::

Something to do
Someone to love
Something to hope for

Darlyne, though bedridden for much of the day, deals with "something to do" vicariously. She takes extraordinary interest in the lives of her sister's family and in the lives of her close friends. She wants details to feed her eager mind.

She has "someone to love" in her husband who promised to care for her all the days of her life.

She has "something to hope for" in the promise of eternal life given to her by her ever-present Saviour, whom she adores.

We have yet to meet in person but I know her by heart. She challenges me when I'm discouraged. She lights a candle in my soul when I feel doubt. She wraps herself around the tendrils of my heart when I need relief from my own chronic pain.

Darlyne is a little wildflower, young enough to be my daughter, whom God put in my path to remind me of His love, a precious jewel who quietly ministers when no one else can.