What's your story-Five Minute Friday

I was recently asked, "Hogwarts or Narnia?" Easy: Narnia, hands down.

“Child" said the Voice, "I am telling you your story, not hers. I tell no one any story but his own.”
―C.S. Lewis, The Horse and his Boy.

Why do things happen? What is the reason in this?? Sometimes life is so frustrating...we tend to forget we live with a promise from the creator of the universe: Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Please note: it says "I know the plans." It does not say "I know the plans and if I gripe loud enough, God will tell me why." What I've found in my brief 50 years is that there's always a why. Why do we struggle with unemployment? To trust God's provision and to help others in the same boat. Why did this one get cancer? Does God hate her? No, but look at all those who were blessed by her during treatment....look at how many she is helping now that she is cancer free. Look at how God is glorified in her healing...or sometimes, look how many saw the love of God in her before she passed away. We don't get to know why...not when it's not our story.

Ten years ago I could hear. Totally.normal.hearing. Now I am profoundly deaf. It was a gradual, progressive loss. Most of it occurred in the last five years. In March, my ENT suggested I see a specialist for a cochlear implant. First I called the insurance company and they said not covered. Then I saw the specialist. His office called the insurance company and was told "not covered." They submitted for pre-authorization anyway, and it was approved. I had the surgery in early July and in late July I was activated (please read prior blogs for specifics on all of this...this is the short story!). Most activations are jumbled, garbled, outer-space chipmunky sounds. So was mine...for about 5 minutes. Then I heard voices (that sounded helium infused). The next day voices were nearly normal. A week post-activation, I am back to school (where I teach 8th grade language arts), and am having conversations with peers and attending (and hearing) meetings. This doesn't happen often in the world of implants...people get to this point after months or years. I am still profoundly deaf, but I hear using a cochlear implant.

Why did this happen to me? I don't know. Here is what I do know: as an 18 year old college freshman I decided to major in deaf education. I learned sign language and how to read an audiogram. I understand the ear and how it works and its dysfunctions. These tools were beyond valuable to me 32 years later as a deaf adult struggling to understand what was going on and how to communicate. Life is not a series of coincidences, where "what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger." NO! Our life is our story. I refuse to buy into the randomness theory. Will my story make a difference for someone else? I certainly hope so; that is why I tell it as opposed to hiding it. I'm excited to see the next chapter unfold because I am pretty sure I'm early in the book...and it's only going to get better.

What is your story? It's going to be good...because that's the promise: "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Thanks for listening to just a small piece of mine! I look forward to hearing yours!

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