Miriam: A Shining Light

Miriam (real name)and her husband Dave met when they bumped into each other in their wheelchairs when they were undergraduate students in Michigan. Miriam had dislocated hip sockets from birth which required periodic surgeries thoughout her life. Dave had been wrestling on some steps at his fraternity and sustained permanent paralysis from his waist down.
As a young girl, Miriam used to try hard to "fake" it on physical tests at the doctors so people wouldn't know how serious her pain and health issuees were. Miriam was and is a petite, sweet artistic person.
As she got older, they found the source of her problems and she had to endure some difficult surgeries. She would wait until she was extreme pain before facing the ordeal of another surgery and recovery. While I lived near hear, she had to repeat a failed surgery about six weeks after the previous one - doctor's mistake I believe. She also quietly cared for Dave's special needs. Dave became a Christian counselor and continues to this day his hobby of interracting with people via ham radio. Obviously, both are examples of true heroism.
Miriam likes to paint and write. Even though they couldn't have children, she loved them. She had a special baby shower for our son Dan and listened to my gripes and complaints and high spots as we raised two preschoolers. I remember Dave being at a birthday celebration for Daniel. Daniel, probably turning one, was intrigued by Dave's sunglasses.
After I had Daniel, I felt it was right for her to lead our ladies' Bible study for awhile. I would stay by her side and cheer her on for a change. She would study and try to organize it all week. When it was time for the study, we would share concerns and prayer requests. Often, we didn't get much further. Miriam would start to cry with love and mercy for the women in the group. Then, she would feel bad that we didn't get further along. The women loved her and sensed her genuine care. We learned so much from her merciful spirit.
After we moved, we came through California with our kids and had a meal with Dave and Miriam. After we left, our kids, now quite a bit older, said she "glowed".