ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 17, 2009
A Lutheran's Faith Remains Steadfast After Tragic Accident
09-134-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Diana Luscombe spent the past two
years being angry with God. "God and I have a rapport
where I can yell. And I feel like God says, 'Bring it on.'"
About two years ago Luscombe and her husband Mark,
along with their 3-week old son and 22-month old daughter,
were on their way to a church youth event. Luscombe was
driving when the car veered off and hit a concrete median,
causing the car to ricochet and roll three times landing
on its roof. Their daughter's car window was the only one
not broken. While her husband and children were not hurt,
Luscombe broke her neck.
Luscombe spent the next two weeks in an induced coma
at a trauma hospital. "When I woke up, I was paralyzed from
my shoulders down. I was also on a ventilator and had a
tracheotomy," she said.
Ensnared in a new reality she didn't understand,
Luscombe's faith remained steadfast. Luscombe is a member
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in the
process of joining St. Michael's Lutheran Church, Camillus,
N.Y.
An occupational therapist once told her, "Your worst
day is your worst day. God finds you in that day and lifts
you up." After a month in the trauma hospital, Luscombe moved
to another hospital in Philadelphia for rehabilitation.
Doctors were uncertain how much mobility she could regain.
"I learned how to feed myself, brush my teeth, hold a
cup and regain control of my abdomen and lower back to keep
myself from tipping when I sit," Luscombe said. Her goal is
to be able to walk again, despite some doctors' prognosis.
Defying the odds, she walked 62 feet, rested, and walked
another 62 feet with a walker this past May.
Luscombe attributes her survival and rehabilitation
successes to the prayers and support from family and "people
around the world."
"I am here because of the people who've supported me.
We need to be able to turn to each other and be strong for
one another," she said. "I don't want to be going through
this for nothing. My prayer is that other people will
benefit from my experience, hopefully take away some hope
or strength and know that it's okay to be angry, sad and
frustrated and still be faithful."
In addition to prayer and support to help carry her
through therapy, Luscombe discovered a hidden talent --
painting.
"At the hospital I met Lori, an art therapist, who
invited me one day to the greenhouse for art. I had
resisted, since I've never been an artist, but I went
anyway," said Luscombe. With the use of a "U-cuff,"
Luscombe was able to hold a paint brush. Her art has been
displayed in a variety of places.
"I found that painting was very freeing. It gave me
a way to express myself, to get out some of what I felt
was locked inside. I tend to paint things related to
nature. Painting is a way to reconnect with the natural
world, since I was out of commission for six months."
Regaining the use of her hands and arms also allows
Luscombe to hug her children. "I wasn't sure if I would
be able to hold my children. But since arriving home, I
can hug and squeeze them," she said.
Luscombe also became the first diaconal minister in
the ELCA Upstate New York Synod, beginning service as
director of youth and family ministry at St. Michael's.
A diaconal minister is a professional lay leader in the
ELCA.
The Rev. Marie C. Jerge, bishop, ELCA Upstate New
York Synod, Camillus, presided over Luscombe's consecration
in May. "I felt like I was participating in a miracle,"
she said. "Diana is a sign of hope. There's so much
negative news in the world today that we're constantly
looking for signs of hope. Diana is that hope for me and
the church. Her determination, faith and ability to accept
what has happened and turning to God to ask how she might
serve God in these new circumstances ... is a miraculous
sign of hope."
Luscombe and her husband graduated from Lutheran
Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pa., in 2004. The Rev.
Mark R. Luscombe is pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran
Church, Skaneateles, N.Y.
As she continues to live a life full of hope since
the accident, Luscombe still asks a lot of "why" questions.
"We just had a baby, Mark settled into a new call at a
church, and it just seemed that life was on a good path,"
she said.
"Then one day I started asking 'how' questions,"
Luscombe said. "How can I be a good mother? How can I be a
good servant? How can I minister to others from the place
where I am now? I definitely still have lots of 'why' days,
but I have a lot more 'how' questions now. And I think,
that's okay, it's healthy."
- - -
Information about St. Michael's Lutheran Church is at
http://www.stmichaelscamillus.org on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
