This last week, I had an opportunity to teach in Chase’s class. As we talked about narratives, he sat quietly, drawing his heart onto a blank sheet of paper. The story would shape into a super hero boy whose mom would not let him save the world until he cleaned his room.
“Are you saying that the world would be a safer place if you never had to clean your room again?” I asked him with a smile.
Eyebrows lifted, mischievous face in full bloom, he grinned. “Of course. It’s bad for the world when I clean.”
But then he pulled me aside and his voice was a gritty whisper of sadness as he asked me. “Do they know I have hearing loss?” This is something Chase does often. Despite it being a reality for the better part of his decade, Chase fights his hearing loss and is still tempted to treat it like a dirty secret, even when obviously wearing an aid in school. I’ve watched him feel shame about it, and frustration too. In fact, it’s one of his big three – “The H’s” – height, hair, and … hearing loss.
We remind him how brave he is.
We remind him how hard he’s had to fight for those scars of loss and how proud we are of him.
We remind him that they are a precious part of him, but need not define all of him.
And yet, he struggles.
Until last week.
Last week, I got to see an incredible change in Chase regarding his hearing loss. For the first time in as long as I can remember, I saw pride.
This joy-filled confidence came about because he, as a fourth grader, got to walk into a second grade room and be physical encouragement to a new second grader who had just started wearing a hearing device and was doing a presentation on it for her class.
How brave is the precious eight year old girl who stands for such things?
And how brave is the precious ten year old boy who stands with her and says ‘You’ll be okay because I’ve done it and I’m okay too”?
After all this time, and all the affirming words and normalizing exercises, I finally saw Chase most proud when he was able to use his disadvantage to someone else’s advantage. He became most heart-full when the very scars that bother him became someone else’s encouragement.
And I hope you hear the truth underlaying this story and that you can hold it close to your own heart even today.
Your struggles are not in vain.
Your pain is not without purpose.
Your weakness may very well be your greatest strength.
Because, Dear Ones, when it comes to the story God has for you, the pieces that fall into place are never in error, even if we don’t see how they work together. You are in the middle of your story for a reason – “for such a time as this”.
Moment by moment.
“God comes alongside us when we go through hard times, and before you know it, he brings us alongside someone else who is going through hard times so that we can be there for that person just as God was there for us.”
2 Corinthians 1:4 (Message)
For privacy purposes, I will not share the school where this was taken, the hearing teacher who took it, or the two other children in the original frame, both with hearing pieces wrapping their ears or devices around their necks. But I can tell you that the joy on their faces is beautiful, and I can share Chase’s smile with you as he stood alongside them.
