Hear and Now

I watched a documentary titled "Hear and Now" which follows an older couple who were both deaf since birth. At the age of 65 they decided to get cochlear implants in hopes of hearing. They were already very well adjusted to the hearing world. As an engineer he wired their house to alert them to babies crying, alarm clocks and doorbells and he was instrumental in creating TTY (TeleTypewriter) allowing the hearing-impaired to communicate over the telephone. When surgical technology offered the possibility of hearing, they decided to try it together. It wasn't an easy procedure, causing nausea, pain and emotional distress. They had to wait 3 weeks for the swelling to go down before they could even test the implant, but once the device was turned on, the evidence of sound was seen in their face. The audiologist asked what they could hear, but they had no words, nor experience to be able to define what they heard. There were days of amazement as they walked around their house listening to sounds. They would flip light switches, run their hand down a wall, and learn the difference between tiptoeing and walking heavily down a wooden hallway. She debated the need to buy a carpet to muffle the sound and Paul played air guitar when the family brought over a sound system as a present. It wasn't a perfect cure. They could hear sounds, but often it was noise, it was not perfect hearing. In the earnest hope of hearing and understanding, Sally would turn up her implant often to the point where the system would become overloaded and quit working. They did not know how to filter excess noises that the hearing world does automatically. They would often take off the device when they needed a rest from the barrage of clamor or if they wanted to concentrate. There was disparity between their successes of hearing. Paul seemed to hear more than Sally which left her frustrated. She never regretted having the procedure; her only regret was that it came so late in life.

My prayer for the congregation?

Dear God, We are a hope-filled congregation, eager to take the risky and sometimes painful steps to experience that which we have no knowledge to compare. There will be stages of wonder, frustration, joy and peace. May we be gracious and patient through each stage and encourage each other when the pace is a struggle and uneven. Let us filter our emotions and worries, allowing us to focus on the work of the church and our mission in your plan. Let us give thanks for our energy and our hope, and refuse regrets by claiming and taking part in your kingdom, here and now. Amen