The Great Hearing Aid Hunt

Last night, I sat on the sidelines of my daughter Cathrine's soccer practice with sweat dripping from every crease and crevice on my body. This would be because in Phoenix at 6 p.m. it is still 110 degrees. Yes, that was not a typo. Of course it didn't help that I had a computer on my lap flooding that part of my anatomy with electronically generated heat as well.

The practice was going well until about 7:30, when my daughter looked at me with a concerned look on her face and pointed to her ear and shrugged. I immediately knew what she was trying to say, and just about jumped out of my chair, sweat flying everywhere. She'd lost her hearing aid.

Apparently, she was putting on a colored vest, and felt the hearing aid get knocked out. Only just then her coach called her to join the group, and she ran away from where it fell, without picking it up.

By the time I got to the group and told the coach, we all started looking for it. Only after a few minutes did Cathrine tell me she knew when it fell. But by that point, she'd walked so far away from the spot that she didn't remember exactly where it was.

So six adults, and five girls spent the next 30 minutes looking in 2" high Bermuda grass for a little piece of plastic that cost $1,300. I kept praying for one of those miracle findings. As I crawled on my hands and knees, I reminded God of how easy it would be for one of us to find it with His direction. I even remembered reading an article about someone who prayed to find a hearing aid and found it in the garbage. I just knew any minute I was going to hear someone yell, "I found it!" But as the sun set, it didn't happen.

We went home with heavy hearts. All the time, I knew God was testing me to see how I would react. Cause, we don't have $1,300 to replace that hearing aid, y'all. (I've been reading a lot of my Southern sisters' blogs today, and can't help myself.) I knew I shouldn't have gotten upset with her, but on the way home I didn't stop myself from expressing frustration at why she didn't just stop and pick it up. I didn't do well on God's test.

This morning, bright and early, I was back on that grassy field with four children, and combed(literally) through the grass with fingers. Again, I prayed for God to shine the sun in just such a way that the hearing aid would glisten in the grass and we would see it. Again I fully expected to hear someone say, "I found it!" But they didn't.

One more time, I could feel God's testing taking place. My little girl doesn't really understand how much $1,300 is, but she knows it's a lot. And she feels horrible. So do I. But, I knew she needed reassurance that it would be okay, and I knew God was watching to see how I handled it. Remembering the "D" I got the night before, I approached my daughter with much more grace and compassion.

So we'll go back tomorrow with a metal detector. I don't know if God has a miracle planned or not, but I know I'll keep getting tested.

Every lesson I learn in life costs something. Perhaps this is one of those very expensive ones to teach me (once again) to give grace when someone makes an expensive mistake. Especially when that someone is a child ... mine. It's all perspective, you know, because I am thankful my children are alive!

If you think about it, please pray that we find that hearing aid. Thank you.

In His Love,

Glynnis