I says, "Pardon?"

I am hard of hearing.

When you read that, what are your first thoughts?
* poor girl
* Oh, I never knew that...
* Does she wear hearing aids?
* Does she know sign language?
* Oh she must wish and pray for her hearing to be restored....

It is impossible for me to know what many people think - it certainly varies and I meet a great deal of people who pity me but also don't bat an eye and think I want to be able to hear completely. I have met many people in my lifetime who automatically will up the tone of their voice and speak SO LOUDLY just to accomodate - "thank you, but I can hear you just fine. I am an expert lipreader asa result."

I don't consider it a disability because I am able to do just about all things a person with normal hearing could; however I have an inability, an inability to hear my alarm clock sometimes when I am in a deep sleep ( which can be SO STRESSFUL !); I am unable to hear a faint whisper or a soft song being played on a quiet radio.... but I can live without those things. My inability to hear fully has not stopped me from living life; on the contrary it has opened up a whole other side of the world for me - an introduction to Deaf culture and sign language.
Because of my hearing inability I have so many more abilities that hearing people do not, which makes me now ask the question - who is the one with the disability?

I had a young man, a nice and caring but a bit misguided fellow pray over me the other day - he covered my ears with his hands and prayed that the Father would heal me and remove my doubts that the Lord could heal me. I was infuriated. I do not doubt God'spower to heal, I just believe that God has helped me overcome it and never once in my life have I ever felt sorry for myself.
I decided not to stop his prayer but I interrupted him and said what I felt the prayer should have been about - THANKS. I thanked God the Father for my hearing aids and in my own prayer I thanked Him for my inability to hear, for giving me the gift of sign language so I can have a ministry to help others who have zero hearing. I have learned a great amount about myself because of this gift that God has given me of being born with a hearing loss.

I ask all of you before you pray over a person, care enough about them to know their story, how they have overcome obstacles in their lives that their inabilites have caused them, and most importantly, ask them if they truly want to be healed, because what is an affliction to many is consider a prize to others.