Anna was a typical girl in her 20s. She went to work during the week and partied on the weekends. She lived for the weekend and excitement: drinking, drugs, bars, and concerts.
One weekend, she noticed that her hearing was strange. There was a loud ringing in her ears. She went to the doctor, who told her that she was going to lose her hearing. Devastated, Anna realized that this would change her life forever. No more living for the weekends or even working as she knew it.
She slowly began to take charge of her affliction. She learned sign language and quit her job. She started teaching sign language to those who wanted to learn. Her deafness also forced her to retreat into the Bible. She scoured the Bible looking for verses on affliction.
One day, she was reading the Psalms when she came upon a verse that hit her in the heart:
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. You are good and what you do is good.”
She finally realized that God had been working in her life all along. She had been too busy partying and working to hear God’s voice. Now she hears clearly, even though she is deaf.
Anna started to go to church regularly and pray more often. She also started volunteering at a local deaf center. She found that she loved helping others who were deaf, and she felt like she was finally making a difference in the world.
Anna’s story is a reminder that God can use even our afflictions to bring us closer to Him. When we are going through difficult times, it is important to remember that God is with us and He will never leave us. We can also find comfort in knowing that God is working in our lives, even when we can’t see it.
“Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey your word. You are good and what you do is good.“
Psalms 119:67-68