No, he doesn’t. He doesn’t hear what I hear.
Our son Nick was born completely deaf in his left ear. No hearing aid can help. No surgery can fix. At first, one might think his impairment is insignificant since his right ear hears normally. But try walking around with a finger in your ear even for a few moments. Then imagine being in a room with people talking, a radio playing, a dog barking, kitchen utensils clanging. Hearing isn’t so easy any more.
At an early age, Nick learned to compensate for his disability. He makes sure he stands and sits in places where his right ear—his hearing ear—faces who or what he needs to hear.
When changing position is impossible, Nick has learned to turn. Turning his head causes sound to reach his good ear. Turning also accomplishes something so incredibly sweet.
When he turns to hear, I see his face and I can look in his eyes. We have each other’s undivided attention.
Nick’s hearing impairment has given me a precious gift. He has taught me how deaf I can be to the voice of God. With so many distractions in life, it’s easy to tune God out or to listen with only one ear, missing the richness of God’s words, the peace and joy of His presence. But when I turn both ears toward God, I turn my face and I see His eyes. Suddenly, with such full attention, I’m captivated by His beauty and love and peace and it’s hard to turn back. I realize I’ve settled for far less, too often. When I don’t stop and turn and gaze with full attention, I miss the full experience of God. I settle for drops of spiritual refreshment, never stopping and turning and gazing long enough to drink deep of the One who fills my soul and settles my heart.
When we turn our face toward God, we hear His holy voice, we gaze into His loving eyes, and we see how we were made to be—free in Christ and full of His love, flowing over and onto a world in need of Him—His peace, His love, His joy.
Turning, hearing, gazing—God transforms hearts with these three because He transforms us when we are fully in His presence. And God uses each single transformation to change His whole world—turning each yearning ear—each longing heart—toward Him who fills full and forever—with Jesus, the only one who can set us free from all that binds. Nothing else can, though we may try. Only Jesus.
Christmas cards are arriving in the mail.
Peace. Joy. Everyone wishes.
Good news! They are free gifts for all, given by a child in a manger.
Turn, hear, gaze upon the Giver of all good things!
Ask, and we WILL receive—in God’s perfect way—in God’s perfect love—in God’s perfect time. The best Christmas gift—EVER!
PEACE . . .
JOY . . .
These CAN be ours—this Christmas.
Do you hear what I hear? He’s calling through Christmas bells rung and sweet carols sung. He’s calling through heartbreak and brokenness. He’s calling . . .
Do you hear what I hear?
TURN . . .
HEAR . . .
GAZE . . .
Be captivated.
Be free.