The Nuance of Not Hearing

This will be my official first whine of the New Year. At the end of a meeting this evening, when people were talking, sharing, laughing and kidding around-in other words, my favorite part, my right hearing aid went dead. This is not necessarily a big deal. Sometimes you have to open the little trap door where the battery is resting and close it again. A kind of reset. But that didn't work. It was still out. I had spare batteries in my coat pocket, but I don't like pulling out the pack and going through all the fol-de-rol of fishing out a new one, so I smiled benignly and left. The problem is, this was my back up pair.  Earlier in the day, the left one came out of its housing whilst cleaning (no, I was not vigorously scrubbing it). I had to go to the audiologist to get him to put it back together the right way. So I dug out the back ups to use until the glue set for the fixed one.

I don't complain about my hearing loss to anyone. It doesn't serve a purpose. I don't have cancer or dementia (although some doubt my mental prowess) or leprosy. I am not clinically depressed or suicidal. I have an excellent life all things considered. But today, I hate that I can hear the door click only when I'm next to it. That I can't hear my footsteps, the tv in the next room or even the voice on the voicemail on the phone. I hate it. It makes me mad and makes me feel incompetent and fragile. And I ask myself once again, why do I have this? Am I supposed to be learning something from this? Am I some shining example to be made to others? I don't want this. I didn't ask for it.

Tomorrow is another day and the newer hearing aids will be in fine fettle. But this evening my "fettle" is quite rattled and I'm sitting here in bed whining.

Epiphany--a good word

I don't know if you have noticed it or not, but the church always seems to have words that stick out. They aren't used anywhere else. Words like: narthex, sacristy, vestments. But the curious thing is that the "church" also has words that are used in other places: baptism (by fire usually), blessing (or a curse) and epiphany. The word epiphany means:  a sudden intuitive leap of understanding, especially through an ordinary but striking occurrence. This is the season of Epiphany, when we come to understand that Jesus came and surprised us all by saving us from sin. The most famous story of the season is the one where the Wise Men come from the East to offer the baby, gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh. It is symbolic that three guys from out of the area came to see the "King of the Jews" and they themselves were not Jewish. That is kind of what Epiphany emphasizes. You don't have to be Jewish to see Jesus as Savior of the world. 

I was reminded of something today which I wanted to share. It has to do with a house blessing, writing the following in chalk over the door post. It's a way to celebrate this becoming aware of the gift of the Messiah. It goes like this:

20 + C+M+B+16

The letters have two meanings. They are the initials of the customary names of the three Magi:  Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. They also abbreviate the Latin words, "Christus Mansionem Benedicat" which translates to "May Christ bless this house". The year is divided before and after these letters with the plus signs (small crosses) representing the protection of Christ on the dwelling.

Happy Epiphany! And I wish for you an intuitive and sudden understanding of the miracle of Jesus coming to us!