I approached one couple I had never seen before and told them that they needed to fill out a registration form. They lady seemed disinterested and confused. I repeated my words, offering her the clipboard. She still looked confused. Then she looked at me and said, "I'm deaf." Ah. It was then that I understood. She couldn't hear my speech. So I changed my approach and communicated in a different way - through her husband.
After that encounter I thought about us humans and the way we look at things. We tend to interact with others based on OUR rules and OUR understanding of the truth. The problem with that is, not everyone plays by the same rules or has the same understanding of what's right and what's wrong.
Watching the nightly news gives daily examples of people with differing viewpoints and attitudes. We often say, "What are these people thinking?" when in actuality, they are doing what in right in THEIR eyes.
We humans have differing belief systems, faiths, denominations, opinions and political views. We all have things we like and don't like, approve of and disapprove of. Some oppose abortion, others are in favor of it. Each one is sure they are right and others are wrong. Are we deaf to each others viewpoints? Are we blind to those things that don't comply with our way of thinking? So who is right? We can't ALL be right.
As Christians, we know where to find the truth. We know that the Bible contains words of truth that we are to live by as WE change OUR thinking to align with Christ's. We ourselves can change no one. But we know someone who can.
"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” - John 9:1-5
Jesus then gave the man his sight.
When God spoke about healing the sick in the Bible he wasn't necessarily talking about actual deaf people, the blind or about those who cannot speak. He is usually talking about healing our hearts. Our souls. And about whether or not Jesus is our Lord.
We ALL have "disabilities." We all have wounds and scars. It is how we deal with our inabilities that enables us to do great things. What disability do YOU have that you could turn around for God's glory?
I look at myself (that's where we should always start) and I seek out my deficiencies, what do I do with them when I find them? I take them to Jesus and ask, "How can I use this for your glory? How can I honor you? How can I turn my negative into a positive?" He will answer.
The husband of the deaf woman I met last week was also deaf. His means of turning a negative into a positive was learning sign language to communicate with his wife. He used written means to communicate with those who didn't speak HIS language. He found a way. He found light in the darkness and a way to "hear" despite being deaf. Can we say the same about our shortcomings?
"In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see." - Isaiah 29:18
After that encounter I thought about us humans and the way we look at things. We tend to interact with others based on OUR rules and OUR understanding of the truth. The problem with that is, not everyone plays by the same rules or has the same understanding of what's right and what's wrong.
Watching the nightly news gives daily examples of people with differing viewpoints and attitudes. We often say, "What are these people thinking?" when in actuality, they are doing what in right in THEIR eyes.
We humans have differing belief systems, faiths, denominations, opinions and political views. We all have things we like and don't like, approve of and disapprove of. Some oppose abortion, others are in favor of it. Each one is sure they are right and others are wrong. Are we deaf to each others viewpoints? Are we blind to those things that don't comply with our way of thinking? So who is right? We can't ALL be right.
As Christians, we know where to find the truth. We know that the Bible contains words of truth that we are to live by as WE change OUR thinking to align with Christ's. We ourselves can change no one. But we know someone who can.
"As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. 2 His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”
3 “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4 As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5 While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” - John 9:1-5
Jesus then gave the man his sight.
When God spoke about healing the sick in the Bible he wasn't necessarily talking about actual deaf people, the blind or about those who cannot speak. He is usually talking about healing our hearts. Our souls. And about whether or not Jesus is our Lord.
We ALL have "disabilities." We all have wounds and scars. It is how we deal with our inabilities that enables us to do great things. What disability do YOU have that you could turn around for God's glory?
I look at myself (that's where we should always start) and I seek out my deficiencies, what do I do with them when I find them? I take them to Jesus and ask, "How can I use this for your glory? How can I honor you? How can I turn my negative into a positive?" He will answer.
The husband of the deaf woman I met last week was also deaf. His means of turning a negative into a positive was learning sign language to communicate with his wife. He used written means to communicate with those who didn't speak HIS language. He found a way. He found light in the darkness and a way to "hear" despite being deaf. Can we say the same about our shortcomings?
"In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book, and out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind shall see." - Isaiah 29:18
A Girl and A Blind Man Ballet
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