Hearing Aids and the Voice of God
Most of us don’t want to swallow our pride and wear hearing aids. Carol Harrison discovered how her hearing aids reminded her to listen to God.
Do you struggle with hearing from God? Share your comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Hearing Aids Hint
Sometimes those puzzle pieces of our lives change. We end up needing a little help in some area of our life. A few years ago I began to notice my hearing had deteriorated a bit. Some people in my family thought it was much worse than I considered it to be. Inside I knew I denied the extent of diminished hearing as I could only talk on the phone using my left ear, if I had any hopes of knowing what the person had said.
I often did presentations on communication for people whose first language did not happen to be English. I encouraged them to project their voice. I even admitted to them I might have a hard time hearing a quiet voice. One lady, with a very quiet voice, apologized for her poor English when I asked her to repeat what she had said. It had nothing to do with the quality of her newly acquired English language skills but a case of my hearing not being good enough.
My Hearing Aid Fund
Then my hard of hearing mother-in-law gave me a cheque for my birthday with a note telling me it needed to go into a hearing aid fund.
The unusual circumstance of getting something for my birthday and the request that accompanied it made me think it might be time to swallow my pride and have a hearing test to see how bad my ears had become.
The test revealed more loss of hearing in the right ear than the left. I also discovered that hearing aids could help this type of hearing loss. A new puzzle piece landed in my lap – the daily use of small gadgets in my ears to assist me to hear those around me, including softer voices. Could I get used to them? Did I want to have to put up with this for the rest of my life? Would they really make a big difference to my ability to hear?
Using Hearing Aids
Buying them and then actually using them until I got used to them was the only way I would know if they helped. I spent the money. I listened to the instructions on using and caring for them. I had them paired with an app on my phone which allowed me to adjust their volume. Now I needed to put them in each day until I got used to wearing them. I learned to put them in with no trouble. I thought it took forever to adjust but the specialist said I adapted quickly.
After I had used them for several years I needed to send them in for warranty work. One week with no hearing aids. Everything got quieter in my life. I often looked up to find my husband and daughter sharing a laugh – at my expense for I had not heard them talking to or about me. They had a great time all week talking about me and teasing me about being deaf. I struggled to hear conversations which caused some frustrations.
The Still Small Voice of God
I thought about listening carefully to words that are said, especially quiet ones which are still difficult to catch even with hearing aids. Then I thought about the still, small voice of God. How many times do I get busy with the activities of life and miss his voice speaking to me?
I think about Elijah hiding in the cave fearing Queen Jezebel’s threats to kill him. In I Kings chapter 19 God speaks to Elijah right where he was – hiding in the cave afraid for his life and asks him what he was doing. Elijah told God how he felt alone and afraid of being killed. God sent him to the cave’s opening with a promise he would pass by.
Elijah obeys and waits for God to speak to him. The powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks but God was not in the wind. The earthquake came followed by a fire but God did not speak to Elijah out of either of those. Then verse 12 says “And after the fire came a gentle whisper.”
Elijah recognized the presence of God and covered his face with a cloak. God repeats his question to Elijah, “What are you doing here?”
Elijah’s answer was a repeat of his first one. But God did not give up on him.
God’s Whisper
Elijah waited and listened until he heard God whisper. Am I willing to wait and listen for God to whisper to me, to call me by name, to whisper words of love and encouragement as well as marching orders?
There are times I wish I had spiritual hearing aids to make sure I don’t miss the still small voice of God. Then I realize I just need to take the time, spend quiet time in God’s Word and in prayer. Sometimes God asks me to do something that I don’t really want to do or that is outside my comfort zone. I question if I have heard him correctly. Just like getting used to my hearing aids and listening intently when someone with a quiet voice speaks to me, I need to spend time waiting and listening to God, The more I spend time with him the more I will recognize his voice. It might not be easy but oh how worthwhile it is, even more than those gadgets I plug into my ears each morning.
How do you listen to God? We would love to hear from you. Comment below or contact us at HopeStreamRadio.
Carol Harrison
Listen to Carol’s program Puzzle Pieces Of Life or visit Carol’s website carolscorner.ca
Carol Harrison B.Ed is a speaker and published author with one book, Amee’s Story and stories in twelve anthologies. She is passionate about helping people of all ages and ability levels find their voice and reach their fullest potential.
She knows, through personal experience that some of life’s experiences are tougher than others. She encourages people that even in the twists and turns of life God’s amazing grace provides hope.
She lives in Saskatoon, SK with her husband Brian. They have four adult children and a dozen grandchildren.
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