Wednesday, May 28, 2014

May 27, 2014

Long Days and Short Nights
May 27, 2014


Tuesday I was up at 2:30 (that is why this blog is being written Wednesday) to be at the church by 3:30 to help on a project that many had been working on.  Lots of folks have had short nights and long days for a couple of weeks as they quietly served the Lord in any way they could.   That project came to an end today, so I don't have to be up at 2:30 tomorrow morning as I had promised.  Serving God is not always at a convenient time, or in a convenient location, but it is always worth the effort.  Others served at other times, but for many of us, early morning, before work was the only time we could help.  It was worth it!

A Cochlear problem that I encountered during those early hours Tuesday morning, had to do with a baseball cap.  I was to wear a baseball cap while working on this project.  It kept knocking off the magnet that holds the coil in place to transmit information from my sound processor to my brain so I can hear.  When it knocks the magnet loose, I instantly go deaf and I risk the sound processor also falling off.  It was a constant challenge to keep myself wired.  Cochlear makes baseball caps with cut out areas for the coil.  I guess I will need to order one for myself.

After I got home and cleaned up, I spent some time in the yard and relaxed by reading before heading to the office.  At 11:00 I had an appointment with my dermatologist.  He was pleased with how I was doing and froze off a few planter's warts on one foot and a tiny spot on a thumb that he said was a cyst.  Hearing him is an extreme challenge.  He is a very nice, happy man and I enjoy my visits with him, but he talks way too fast to live in Texas.  He is not originally from here.  My first statement to him is usually to ask him to speak more slowly, but he doesn't remember that for more than a couple of sentences.  Using the remote control to the sound processor, I had adjusted the unit to what I thought might work - hearing and understanding him is a challenge.

Back at the office, I got a few chores done and visited with my mom when she dropped by for a bit.  She is amazing.  At 91, after she left my office, she spent the afternoon visiting friends in the nursing homes, hospital, and at the home of a lady a who doesn't drive.  It was dark before she got home - tired, but again, serving the Lord, by caring for others.  Another of those "Long Days".

Just last week I had a discussion with one of my granddaughters about how we each have unique talents and abilities and we need to find out what they are and use them.  Often we can use them to glorify God and to touch the lives of others.  Our discussion started when she told me how many awards one of her brothers had won for his piano playing.  She said he was the King of Trophies at their house.  He is blessed with an amazing ability to play and to memorize music.  He loves to play.  I think God will use that talent in the many ways in the years to come.

When my granddaughter and I had that discussion on talents, I had laughingly told her that my talent was baking chocolate chip cookies.  We laughed, but there is a lot of truth in that.  Her older sister had texted me to see if I would bake some chocolate chip cookies for her Children's Choir party at church.  I did.  I love to bake and I think I do a pretty good job of it most of the time.  Many times I have used that ability to reach out to others to let them know that they are loved.  My piano playing would not touch their lives in a positive way.  I needed to find what I was good at and work to be great at doing it.  Just being good at something isn't enough, we need to use that talent to bless others.

A friend used his talent to bless me yesterday.  I have had a problem with downloading videos onto one of my computers.  I could do it at home, but not at work.  Knowing he is a computer expert, I had asked him last week if he had an answer as to why I was having a problem.  He has pondered that mystery since then.  Last night (even though he was one of those people working at the church at 3:30 yesterday morning), he and his wife came over and he figured it out.  He loves a technical mystery.  He blessed me by being willing to keep seeking an answer and helping me out.
Cave Bob and Vickey hiked to on Monday
We had a nice evening.  I was able to talk to our son Bob and his wife Vickey, and catch up with them.  They had hiked up a mountain to a cave on Monday and loved the experience.
Route to the cave
I did well on the phone.  Bob wanted to share about an article he had read on the future of hearing loss remedies.  The article had also talked about the amazing benefits of Cochlear Implants and he said that after reading the scientific article, he feels that my results are a miracle.  As frustrated as I get sometimes with what I can't hear, apparently I am WAY AHEAD of the majority of Cochlear users.  Thank you to God, Dr. Chang, Cochlear, and the Houston Ear Research Foundation for getting me to where I am today.  I will keep working on perfecting the results.

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