June 17, 2009

CHICAGO – 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.

ELCA News Service