THE PERFECT PLAN | KAIROS GLOBAL | FEBRUARY 2024

Author: Benita Elissa Benny

Intro: Benita Elissa Benny writes about the grand plans God continues to have for her life.

Former Indian President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam said this about birthdays, ‘The only day in your life, your mother laughed when you cried.’ Well, my parents would disagree…

Like all couples, my parents dreamed of having the perfect child. But instead, they got an extraordinary one. I was born with a birth defect called Spina bifida, a condition where the spine and spinal cord don’t develop properly.

All my life, relatives, friends, and even strangers have been praying for a grand miracle, something theatrical. But my life itself is a miracle.

The fact that I was born in Kuwait was part of God’s grand plan. I received the best treatment and was cared for by the best professionals. I underwent two surgeries and remained in the hospital for 55 days. After I got home, my parents signed me up for physiotherapy, which I continued till the age of 4.

In 2005, Fr Abraham Pallivathukkal, whom we lovingly call Palliachan, came to Kuwait as a resource person for a JY retreat. My parents knew nothing about JY then. But, through my aunt, we got to meet him, and he introduced my parents to the JY movement. JY has been my haven ever since.

After being introduced to JY, my parents became more rooted in their faith. They taught us the importance of faith and as kids, we knew several Bible stories even before we began school. We went to church every week—later, almost every day. The first songs I’ve probably learned were Christian action songs and worship music, and instead of watching cartoons like Tom & Jerry, we were shown saints’ stories, biblical cartoons, and so on.

I got admission to India International School, where God sent his angels in the form of drivers, school maids, and teachers to support me. However, as the school was no longer able to shift classes to the ground floor, I shifted to Delhi Public School, Kuwait, in 4th grade.

My parents were told to refrain from having more kids, as there was a high chance they would end up like me. But, by the grace of God, in 2007, I was blessed with a beautiful baby sister and, in 2010, a brother, both completely normal!

When I reached 4th grade, I was getting older and needed more care. So, my mother decided to quit her job as an MOH nurse. People around us were sceptical, as my dad worked at a private firm, and the job was not secure. But, trusting in Jeremiah 29:11, my mom took the bold decision.

A few days after my mom resigned, we got to know that my dad had been promoted to a much higher position. To our great surprise, when the promotion papers arrived, we realised that my dad’s promotion had been approved the very day my mom resigned! All glory to God!

As a child, and even now, when somebody asked me what my dream was, I used to say that I wanted to travel the world. I loved travelling, exploring, and learning about different countries. My other dream as a child was to meet the Pope. My parents began praying for the same.

That is when a JY leader visited Kuwait and came to our house to attend our cell group. He got a message while praying that we should start praying and preparing to go for World Youth Day. Now, I had no idea what WYD was, and neither did my parents. So, they began researching and praying. Then, in October 2015 they revealed that we were, in fact, going to attend World Youth Day 2016 in Krakow, Poland.

Our family began to prepare spiritually for the WYD, and we were thrilled. This is when my dad told me that we were bringing along both our grandmothers from Kerala. To this day, I have no idea where they got the courage to make such a decision—to travel with two senior parents, a wheelchair person, and two kids.

On July 23, we set off from Kuwait to Poland, followed by a pilgrimage to Italy and France. To say I had a blast is an understatement.

WYD itself was a magical experience. Seeing people from all over the world, sharing stories, music, and love for Christ was phenomenal. The people who welcomed us into their homes did not know a word of English and treated us in a way that proved that love goes beyond all boundaries. I experienced things I had never done or felt before. For the first time, I found myself drenched in rain, on a taxi, on a tram, and amid an unfathomable crowd.

The JY pilgrimage that followed was a life-altering experience. Going to places I had only seen on TV and learning countless new things was simply amazing. On a Wednesday morning in Rome, I found myself looking at the schedule, and on finding out that it was the day of the Papal Audience, I remember telling myself, ‘Time to see the Pope…’

But then it dawned on me: how am I ever going to see him, standing in St Peter’s Square in the scorching heat, while he speaks from the balcony? I hoped for the best and got dressed. As we pulled up to the Square, Deacon Das, our guide, informed us that as it was the Wednesday immediately following the World Youth Day, the Papal Audience was to be held in a small hall within the Square. When the security guards pulled mom and I along with our maternal grandmother (who was in a wheelchair for the day) to be assisted by my paternal grandmother and my sister (who held a picture she painted herself of the Holy Father), aside from the long queue, my hopes were through the roof.

We were seated in the VIP area right below the stage, and after the audience, the Holy Father, Pope Francis, came down, greeted us, took my sister’s painting, and blessed each of us. God heeds our smallest wishes... How awesome is he?

Years go by, and I passed my 10th grade. Towards the end of my 11th grade, the world shut down due to a small virus. I completed my 12th grade online. In the Gulf countries, it is nearly impossible to continue higher studies. Since I could not move to another country alone, my family, except for my father, decided to move back to Kerala. But God had other plans. My dad was laid off, and the entire family had to leave our home and move to Kerala, a place we kids knew nothing much about.

Now, I had to decide which college I wanted to join. Again, my parents were willing to go to any lengths for me. I concluded I wanted to do journalism. People recommended Mar Ivanios College, Trivandrum. But Trivandrum was too far away from our home in Palakkad, and we would have to rent out an apartment, look for schools for my siblings, and so on.

A flat we had purchased long ago in Ernakulam came to mind. That became our only option since our native place did not have any accessible colleges nearby.

As if by divine design, The Rajagiri Institutions, a CMI initiative, was just 5 minutes from the flat, complete with a school and a college with the course I wanted. The next question was, was the building accessible? Our apartment was complete with a ramp and lifts that could accommodate my wheelchair. The college, too, was equipped with all the facilities I required!

The doctors, when I was born, told my parents that I would have to be confined to a hospital bed all my life, that I wouldn’t have a long life either. As I’m writing this article, I’m doing my Bachelor’s degree in English Triple Main (Literature, Communication, and Journalism), having never been admitted to the hospital except for those first 55 days. 

God sure does work in mysterious ways!

Benita Elissa Benny is pursuing her Bachelor’s in English from Rajagiri College of Management and Applied Sciences. She lives in Ernakulam, India, with her parents, sister and brother.