Monday, January 3, 2011

Potter's Hand

I like to write an end of the year post, summing up the year gone by, especially if I am inspired.  Thinking back over the songs from church today I thought that using one of them to help me sum up my year would be a good idea.  We sang many of my favorites today, but "Potter's Hand" is the one I decided to use.

2010 was a good, solid year.  In the summer/fall of 2009 in knew that my incoming second grade class was going to be a challenge.  In October 2009, I broke down and prayed for something I've always been afraid to ask for... patience.  (They say that if you pray for patience, God will give you circumstances where you will have to practice patience.  I was already smack dab in the middle of those circumstances, so I had faith it would all work out!)

God answered those prayers.  I was able to deal with my class with patience and love.  They taught me lots about God, not even knowing that they did.  I hope I did the same for them.  The winter and spring of 2010 was a time of strengthening.  I knew God put me here for a purpose and I knew I was doing what he wanted done.

In April, I lost my hearing in my left ear.  What I thought was seasonal allergies, turned out to be sudden deafness.  Losing my hearing was scary, but the questions that came along with it were scary too - the main question being, "What if I pray for God to heal me and he doesn't?"

I went to one of our ministers to discuss the matter.  I told him I didn't know if I should pray for it to come back or not. I told him that maybe God had something else for me, involving the hearing loss. He asked if I wanted my hearing back and of course I said yes. He told me to pray for it.  Of course that's when I needed to know, "What if?"
That's when he reminded me of the story about the three in the firey furnace.
Daniel 3:17" If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 BUT EVEN IF HE DOES NOT, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.”

That was my answer.  God will give me back my hearing, BUT IF NOT, he will still be my God.  He will give me what I need to serve Him.

That's my 2010.  I feel stronger and so grateful to God for all that he has given me.  My hearing has not returned, but God has showed me the strength He can give.  I did not throw my hands up and say, "I can't do my job."  "I can't go out in public because I misunderstand people or can't hear with background noise."  I returned for the 2010 school year and have made appropriate adaptations for my hearing loss.  I have continued to live, hopefully with the zeal and spiritual fervor mentioned in Romans 12:11.

Here are the words to "Potter's Hand."  I hope you can see how this song applies to my 2010 and how it applies to your life as well.
 
Beautiful Lord, Wonderful savior
I know for sure all of my days are held in your hands
Crafted into your perfect plans

You gently called me into your presence
Guiding me by Your Holy Spirit
Teach me dear Lord to live all of my life
Through your eyes

I'm captured by your holy calling
Set me apart. I know you're drawing me to yourself
lead me, Lord. I pray

Oh Take me, mold me, use me, fill me
I give my life to the potter's hand

Oh Call me, guide me, lead me, walk beside me
I give my life to the potter's hand



3 comments:

Diane Shiffer said...

II have to say that I really admire you for continuing to teach after your hearing loss. I lost the hearing in my left ear Dec 7, 2009, and it has changed my life in many ways.... one of them being that I no longer teach Sunday school. Of course a teensy Sunday school class is very small potatoes to actually teaching an entire classroom all day long five days a week, lol. It was just so difficult for me, but here you are teaching your whole class! Wow! Good on you!

I haven't read all of your hearing loss posts, but I'm wondering if you use a hearing aid? Have you found it to be helpful?

Michelle said...

It means so much to hear such positive words about me continuing to teach, especially from someone who knows what its like to deal with single-sided deafness.

I do not use a hearing aid. I lost quality, as well as quantity, so it wouldn't work very well. I am looking at getting a bone-anchored hearing aid in the near future, which will transfer the sound from my right side to my left side. I think it will help me a lot, especially in teaching.

Diane Shiffer said...

Michelle.. continuing to teach with this kind of hearing loss really is an impressive thing to do. I have my degree in Early Childhood Ed and have taught in the classroom as well as worked in administration, so I know what I'm talkin' about too;-} You should be very proud of yourself! I know without a shadow of a doubt that I couldn't do it, seriously.

It sounds like you are considering one of the new "crossover" aides? I have been hopeful about getting a hearing aid, and that is the kind that was recommended to me. I have no hearing in my affected ear, so it's the only kind of aide that is even a possibility for my type of loss. At this point I don't have the funds for the aide, so it's just really a dream... but I keep hoping and praying!☺
I'll be praying for you and that the new aide works wonderfully well for you. If you'd ever like to chat or anything about hearing loss issues, feel free to email me, or stop by my blog. I don't write too much about my hearing loss, but (as I'm sure you know) it's a constant challenge in my life.... although much less so now than it was a year ago:-)