c. 1997 Religion News Service

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. _ Tracy Traylor dreamed of becoming an interior designer. But in 1988, while on spring break in her hometown of Laurel, Miss., an automobile accident left the Baylor University freshman a quadriplegic and in a coma.

It was 5 months before she finally came out of the coma, only to discover she was paralyzed from the neck down and had limited speech ability. She spent a year in a New Orleans hospital undergoing physical therapy.

Nine years later, the 28-year-old Tracy still is unable to walk, hold a conversation, or even feed herself. However, that hasn’t changed her desire to design. It only affects the how and what she designs.

Traylor now has her own line of Christian jewelry _ Prims by Tracy _ which is sold in 26 stores in six states. It is being requested in several more stores, but for the time being, Tracy is unable to meet the demand for the exquisite jewelry _ necklaces using a Scripture verse as a base and incorporating a cross, dove or other biblical symbol _ she designs and her mother puts together.”I’m so glad I was a Christian before the accident,”said Ginny Traylor, Tracy’s mother, in an interview. Her daughter, dressed in a stylish aqua sweater with a purple and aqua scarf and matching earrings, smiled as she watched from her wheelchair.”It was quite a spiritual journey Wayne (her husband) and I went through. Each night after I put Tracy to bed while we were in New Orleans, I had about three hours to study the Bible as I had never studied it before, and to pray to God. He had my undivided attention.” While she could have become bitter about her daughter’s plight, Ginny Traylor said she”knew better than to blame God. Five years before (the accident) I would have asked, `Why would a good God allow pain and suffering in the world? But God made a perfect world, and his perfect creation was ruined by man, and the consequence is pain and suffering. I tried to find in the Bible where Christians are exempt from this, but we aren’t.” (BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM)

In addition to designing jewelry, Tracy writes a column for her hometown paper in Laurel, and her mother says she has”a weird sense of humor.”Tracy recently wrote a speech for her mother to give at the International Baptist Church of Stuttgart, Germany.

In the speech, Tracy wrote,”I have so many questions. I want to know why my wreck happened. I’ve been through so much (since the accident). I even went and lived in a rehabilitation living center and worked with one of the top physical therapists in the world, and I feel like I’m back to square one.”God had a perfect opportunity to heal me, but I know that for some special reason God wants me to stay just like I am. Many times, I want to know what kind of wristwatch he goes by. It sure doesn’t say what mine says. I have to remind myself that my wristwatch is some cheap brand I got from a dime store. God puts my pitiful watch to shame, because he runs by a Rolex!” Tracy’s accident happened the day before Easter. It didn’t dawn on Ginny until she saw the sunrise the next day that it was Easter Sunday.”I had never felt such anguish and agony in my whole life,”Ginny said.”Then I looked at the sun coming up and realized it was Easter and that’s how God felt when he saw his son dying on the cross. I finally decided I had a choice. I could either choose to trust God, or I could choose not to trust him. So I went back to the basic things I already knew about God.” (END OPTIONAL TRIM)

Ginny, a Presbyterian, said she knew God was”a sovereign God. He is in control and is omnipotent. God is not bounded by time. God is above it and sees all at the same time.”I knew God was with Tracy and he had the power to stop the accident. I will never say he sent it, but he did allow it.” Once home, Ginny said,”it was like having a 19-year-old newborn baby.”The main problem, she added, was filling the time.

One day Ginny was wearing a new belt, and Tracy told her the beads on it were perfect for making earrings. Ginny immediately began cutting the belt apart.”Tracy told me what to do, and they really turned out cute, which surprised me,”said Ginny.”My design ability is catastrophic, so surely this must have been a gift from the Lord.” Soon Ginny and Tracy had hundreds of pairs of earrings in their house. Tracy wanted to take some to the workers at Roberts, a local high-fashion dress boutique in Laurel, who had sent her a card every week for 15 months after the accident.”The people at the dress shop had been so sweet to Tracy, but I was so embarrassed to take them the earrings,”Ginny said.”We did, and they were so gracious to Tracy, but I thought they were just being nice. The owner later called and asked me if they could put Tracy’s jewelry in the store. I could not believe it and thought they were kidding.” Soon the demand for Tracy’s earrings grew into an entire line of jewelry called Prims, short for primitive.”Primitive can mean a new beginning, which is what it was for Tracy,”said Ginny.

The necklaces are each designed using Scripture verses as a base. Tracy points to the color of bead or design _ such as a cross, a dove, or other biblical symbol _ while her mother strings them on leather strands.

They use different types of clays to make each symbol, which Ginny paints according to Tracy’s instructions. No two necklaces are alike, and they range in price from $6 for a simple cross, to $95 for one of the more detailed necklaces with many beads and symbols.

The jewelry includes the Noah’s Ark necklace; the Joy necklace, which always has a cross in the center; and the Sovereign necklace, a time line of human history.

But the Grace necklace is Tracy’s favorite.”God said, `My grace is sufficient. For my power is made perfect in weakness,'”said Ginny.”The only reason for our existence is to bring maximum glory to God. God’s grace really is sufficient for us.”

MJP END WHITE