Life changing words
OPINION —
The television commercial said that 50 million Americans have hearing loss. I did a fact check. Turns out the number is more like 30 million. The commercial was probably produced by a hearing aid company.
Whatever the number, I am included. Loss of hearing is a common result of aging. The body wears out as we grow older. So it is not unusual to hear a senior citizen say, “I am hard of hearing.”
When I was a boy my father sometimes asked me, rather sternly, “Are you hard of hearing?” It was his way of reminding me that I should have been up and doing what he had instructed me to do. I learned it was not wise for a boy to be hard of hearing.
My wife sometimes accused me of having “selective” hearing. Truth was, I did. I did pretend not to hear her at times. For example, when she said “We need to buy new furniture for the house,” or “We need to sell everything and move to South America as missionaries.” We usually laughed about it and moved on.
Sometimes we fail to hear what others are saying because we are not listening carefully. President Franklin D. Roosevelt used to tell a cute story on himself. Weary of smiling and making the usual trite comments at White House receptions, he decided one evening to find out if anyone really paid attention to what he was saying.
As each person came up to him with extended hand, he flashed his big smile and said calmly, “I murdered my grandmother this morning.” Most of his guests responded with the usual remarks: “So good to see you Mr. President” or “Thank you for the great work you are doing.”
Only one person, a foreign diplomat, actually listened to what the President was saying. When Mr. Roosevelt said, “I murdered my grandmother this morning,” the diplomat replied, “I’m sure she had it coming.”
Whether with the ears God gave us, or with hearing aids, it is a wonderful gift to be able to hear. It is an awesome blessing to have the capacity to hear the sound of music, birds singing, children laughing, or family and friends expressing their love for you. It is sad that the time comes for some when they can no longer hear well or at all.
One of the most beautiful sounds one may ever hear is the sound of one’s own name along with the words, “I love you.” Cards, letters, and gifts never mean quite as much as tender words spoken from the heart. So, we should be careful daily to share our love verbally with those who are dear to us. Words make a powerful difference.
Mary Ann was born with a cleft palate. Her teeth were misshapen. As she grew up she became painfully aware that she was different from other girls.
When Mary Ann entered first grade, her schoolmates asked her what had happened to her face. She told them she had cut herself on a piece of glass, preferring to lie rather than admit she had been born that way.
In second grade Mary Ann’s teacher, Mrs. Leonard, would say something which forever changed Mary Ann’s life. Annually the teacher gave the children a hearing test. She had each child stand on the other side of the room and repeat to her a sentence which she spoke softly, almost in a whisper, to the child.
Mary Ann wondered as her turn came up what the teacher would say to her. To other children she said simple things like “The sky is blue,” or “I like your shoes.” Then she spoke to Mary Ann seven words that changed her life: “I wish you were my little girl.”
The loving acceptance Mary Ann received from this caring teacher helped her to believe in herself in spite of her appearance. Later, as an adult, Mary Ann shared this story in her book, The Whisper Test.
Harsh words spoken to us in anger or resentment are painful to hear. But kind words of love and encouragement can make an eternal difference, especially to those of us who are hard of hearing.
As I mull over this truth, I am moved to pray, “Lord Jesus, save me from failing to hear your Voice with the ears of my heart. Free me to use my tongue to speak words of life-changing love to others so that I may faithfully obey your command to ‘love one another.’ Keep changing and shaping me so that I can speak life-changing words that you can use to change the lives of those you expect me to love. In your precious name, Amen.”
