By Dr James Dobson
I want to tell you today about a courageous lady who recently passed away at 75 years of age. Her name was Marian Manwell, and I admired her greatly.
When she was an infant, she was sitting in a halter swing when it broke, its spring striking the baby in the soft spot at the top of her head. Immediate medical care was not available and by the time a physician examined her, there was just nothing to do but cleanse and bandage the wound. “Even if the child lives,” he said, “she will be mentally incompetent.”
But the country doctor underestimated the constitution of this little girl. She survived and was blessed with a quick mind, although she was homely and unable to run or jump or catch a ball. The abuse this child took from other children was just incredible. One day, as she trudged to school, a teenage boy came up behind her and said: “What’s wrong with you? What are you limping for? Nobody wants to go with a girl who acts like that.”
Marian had many other disadvantages and, in fact, she had every reason to give up on life because the odds seemed stacked against her. But Marian was made of great stuff. She would not yield to bitterness and anger. She later got married, bore eight healthy children, and became an inspiration to everyone who knew her.
Now Marian Manwell is gone, but she’ll never be forgotten by those whose lives she touched, and I thought her story might be encouraging to someone out there today who has also considered giving up on life. If Marian made it, you can, too.
From TODAY, Voices
Friday, 03-April-2009
No comments:
Post a Comment