“He walks with me, He talks with me, and He tells me that I am His own.”
The words, etched into a gifted wooden sign, rest beside the flourishing garden of Marcia Van’t Land, a 79-year-old gardener who tends to her plants from her wheelchair.
Diagnosed with acute porphyria, which affects the nervous system, for nearly half her life, Mrs. Van’t Land finds serenity and strength in nature’s quiet company.
“A friend made this sign to remind me that when I’m out here gardening, God is out here with me,” she said, smiling. “I plant, but God sends the sunshine.”
Poppies, sunflowers, firecracker flowers, cosmos, sweet peas, roses, and a sage bush burst with color under her care.
Heartland roots
Mrs. Van’t Land grew up on a farm in South Dakota where her family harvested vegetables and spent long summer evenings canning produce for the winter months ahead.
When her family arrived in Chino in 1960, she was struck by the sight of snow-capped mountains and groves of ripe citrus trees.
“I remember eating so many grapefruits right off the tree that I got sores in my mouth,” she laughed. “In South Dakota, we’d only get one orange a year.”
Her father built hay barns and corrals for the local dairies in Chino while Mrs. Van’t Land attended Ontario Christian High School, graduating in 1964 when the school had barely 100 students.
Her journey carried her to college in Iowa where she began exchanging letters with a young man studying at Calvin College in Michigan. Their friendship blossomed into love, and after she transferred to Calvin, the two married in 1968 at the “yellow church” on Riverside Drive, now the First United Reformed Church. Today, her legacy continues with her three children and five grandchildren as alumni of Ontario Christian High School.
Mrs. Van’t Land taught English and girls’ physical education at Grand Rapids Christian High School in Michigan. But when her illness progressed, she was forced to leave the classroom and reimagine her life.
That challenge led her to a new calling, gardening and sewing. For the past 25 years, she has crafted quilted potholders, tissue covers, table runners, and most recently, Christmas tree skirts for her grandchildren.
Living with purpose
Every morning, Mrs. Van’t Land begins her day with coffee, prayer, and a determined spirit. After taking her medication, she wheels herself to her garden sanctuary.
A longtime member of CrossPoint Church, she radiates optimism and faith. In 1997, she published her book “Living With Chronic Illness,” weaving Bible verses and practical advice into each chapter to encourage others living with medical challenges.
“Never give up,” she said firmly. “I never sit in my wheelchair and feel sorry for myself. Go live life.”
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