My desire for a divine encounter supersedes any earthly wish. I felt the tangible presence of God when I went into anaphylactic shock, but I want an experience that can’t be explained away as the alteration of brain chemistry due to a lack of oxygen. I guess you could say I want a face-to-face encounter with God.

But when God places someone in your path at just the right time, a time when you need them most, it is a reflection of the divine. Sometimes it is unexpected. Sometimes it is part of God’s perfect plan, but it is always the mirror image of the heavenly.

When I received the call to tutor Marc, I thought it would be extra money in my pocket. However, what I didn’t expect was the extraordinary impact this young man would have on me both emotionally and spiritually. It has been life changing.

Marc is a quadriplegic. Forceps fractured his spinal cord at C1 and C2.  He is on a respirator, but he can talk. He has intravenous nutrition, but he occasionally indulges in soft foods for the simple pleasure of experiencing the sensation of flavor. He has specialized in-home care by skilled nurses most of the day and his family takes over at 4:00 p.m. Marc has his own man cave in the back of his parent’s home. It is a serene setting surrounded by green foliage and apple trees. Perched on a shelf that circles his room just a foot below the ceiling is his trains and fire station memorabilia. Marc is an honorary fireman, and he listens to a scanner during his free time. He is also an excellent artist. Since he is unable to use his hands, he places the brush in his mouth and creates unbelievable portraits of flowers (one of his portraits is above this blog entry)

I know life isn’t easy for Marc. Although he is a quadriplegic, he still feels neuropathic and musculoskeletal pain. The slow drip of medications often move their way through his body as he learns to critically analyze the assigned articles for ENG 101.  Even with all of his challenges, he works exceptionally hard in school. He uses a voice activated computer software program called Dragon Naturally Speaking, which allows him to do his work independently. He also has dreams and goals just like anyone; his are just limited.

I have gone to tutor Marc when I am worried, tired, or even upset. When I leave his house I am a different person. His laughter lifts my spirits. His perseverance gives me strength. His work ethic makes me strive harder to perfect my own craft. He inspires me.

Life has certainly thrown me some curve balls. I grew up with a sibling who has cerebral palsy, so I didn’t have the typical childhood. I married young and divorced when most people are getting around to getting married. I had two miscarriages at a time when I desperately wanted a baby. I had stage 3 borderline ovarian cancer. My son Brandon nearly died from a burst appendix and perforated bowel, and a year later he had viral meningitis. My youngest, Geoffrey, was an OxyContin addict and I watched him suffer through withdrawal. One year later, the rubber band snapped in my brain the night our family became unraveled because of the vindictiveness of an ex-daughter-in-law. It’s easy to feel sorry for yourself when you are going through the dark night of the soul.

A moment of clarity about the dark shadows of my life came the night I received an email message from Marc when he thought he may need to cancel our tutoring session for a doctor’s appointment due to health issues. I told him my philosophy was to “count it all joy.” He responded, “God never gives me more than I can handle, so it is something I can count on.” He admitted he sometimes struggles with it, but I know the truth of it has settled deep into his spirit. He is an overcomer.

If he can rely on this sacred truth, I must follow in his footsteps. Trials never ask our permission to come. Marc didn’t have a choice. I didn’t have a choice in some of my situations. But the fact remains, we are not perfect. We are broken. We are a mess at times. When we face the trials, like Marc has done, we may even feel like we are sinking into the abyss of our despairing moments, our health issues, or our painful memories; but we will rise out of the ashes. We will find our strength. I have learned that trials change us, most of the time for the better. But we have to let God do the work in the midst of our adversity.

So I am thankful for Marc being placed in my life. He is my encounter with the divine because of his extraordinary outlook on life and his inspiring example of how to live each day with the help of an awesome God.