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In this engaging fable, Mrs. Lacy finds herself in a dream. She happily joins in a car trip with knowledgeable guide Mr. Fearless, who promises to take her to “the Valleys and Hills of many colors.” As Mr. Fearless drives, she becomes nervous at the twists and turns but realizes she must let him be in control if she is to truly appreciate the experience. Passing through deep valleys of doubt, Mr. Fearless tells her she has not been aware of her inner greatness. All great people have divinely inspired ideas, and likewise, God has a plan for Mrs. Lacy. When the car stops, she sees all her creative works spread out, showing that God remembers her worth. She then experiences a new baptism and a sense of joy and healing. With the understanding gained from Mr. Fearless, she will climb to the mountaintop.
This short allegorical tale has been composed to inspire others. Author McPhan is an ordained minister who has written plays and prayers as part of her religious calling. In her narrative, Mr. Fearless, who may represent an angelic or apostolic presence, cites the many sorts of people whom God cares for: the motherless child, the desperate father, the widow, the elderly, the oppressed. He quotes at length from scripture, and he seems to know Mrs. Lacy’s mind and heart at a deep level. The reader will be free to picture this journey with scenes from their own lives, both the physical setting of valleys and peaks and the inner landscape of loneliness and despair than can lead upward to joy and a sense, as Mrs. Lacy feels, of dancing and seeing every color “because every color is beautiful.” Students of scripture and especially those with an artistic nature will appreciate this small but moving story.