Introduction

I have a story to tell. It's a story about me and my disability. Well, some people might call it a disability, and I probably did when I was younger. But now, I think of it more as a challenge to keep me humble in the midst of many other blessings and talents. I was born with severe to profound hearing loss in my right ear and a profound loss in my left ear. I've worn hearing aids my whole life. Big, powerful, conspicuous hearing aids that somehow manage to wring out every last bit of hearing that I had. In April 2011, I bought new hearing aids for the last time. On October 10, 2012, a surgeon put a cochlear implant into my right ear, and if all goes well, I will have another implant put into my left ear sometime in 2013.

There's a Primary children's song called "I Know Heavenly Father Loves Me."  The second verse has had special meaning for me.

He gave me my eyes that I might see the color of butterfly wings.
He gave me my ears that I might hear the magical sound of things.
He gave me my life, my mind, my heart. I thank Him reverently
For all his creations of which I'm a part. 
Yes, I know Heavenly Father loves me.

I decided that would be an appropriate title for this blog because I look forward to hearing the magical sounds of so many more things than I ever have before.

Like I said, I have a story to tell. I don't know how this story will end, or when. But I want to tell it as it unfolds. The date on this post is October 13, 2012, which means that chronologically, I'm in the middle of my story. The blog posts may be somewhat chronological, or I may exercise artistic license and throw in some background material for some of my posts. But the story will largely focus on my road back to hearing.  Sometimes I'll have William weigh in with his side of the story, because this part of the story is almost as much his as it is mine.

My hope is that as others read my story, they will come away with a greater appreciation for the tremendous God-given capacity that our bodies have. I hope that they'll understand that living with a disability is challenging, just as living in a body that works pretty well can be challenging, too. I hope that they'll recognize that the road to my recovery continues to be built on a foundation of prayers, fasts, kind words of encouragement, and generous acts of service. And above all, I hope that they'll understand a little more about the Master Healer of us all.