I wasn’t feeling well when I made my last post, and right as I finished it I had to make a run for it – I caught the stomach bug that has been going around our church. I’ve been pretty sick the last couple of days. Thought it was better yesterday, but later in the day it reared its ugly head once again. So far so good today. I’m taking it easy. Basically when I wasn’t making a run for it I was sleeping, so I think I’m making progress today – I haven’t needed a nap yet!
I’m feeling more positive about my deafness. I think that I am hearing a little bit better than I was at its worst. Not much, but enough that some of the time Chet can speak to me and I can understand what he’s saying (he says he’s speaking VERY loudly!). Even if that gets worse again, I am truly confident that we will get through this just fine. I believe there will be blessings I can’t even imagine. I hope there will be for others in my life as well. It is so very encouraging to me to hear about how this situation has impacted others for the good – one person I know is planning to become an ASL interpreter for a career as a result of this and I think that is so cool! It makes my day!
I find it interesting that last week before my hearing loss happened I was studying Psalm 25. I prayed the same prayer that David prayed asking God to “4 Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths. 5 Lead me in Your truth and teach me…” It was only a day or two later that my hearing loss occurred. Maybe this was an answer to that prayer. I don’t know. It certainly is true that a situation like this is full of life lessons. How can you regret that? It’s a blessing.
Today I was reading another Psalm and I was so encouraged and strengthened by this verse that I wanted to share it with you:
Psalm 28:7:
The Lord is my strength and my shield;
My heart trusts in Him, and I am helped;
Therefore my heart exults,
And with my song I shall thank Him.
Today, I am reminded that my strength has never been my own, it’s from God and I am not afraid. I’m feeling grateful, blessed, and full of praise.
Quiet Insight 
Good to see you back Brenda. I guess what comes to my mind as encouragement for you (I hope) is that the rest of us that know God will never feel sorry for you, or pity you, or feel any less about you; we will love you just as He loves us (if that is even possible.) I am also comforted that because you know and trust God you will be satisfied with life as He has provided, unlike those of the world that want something different than they have and cannot be happy.
To put it another way, for those of the world that deal with affliction, I might feel bad for them because they do not have the knowledge that you have expressed that all is done for good.
Sister in Christ, Carolyn