The person rang me again, and for some reason, I put the phone to my other ear. I could hear him perfectly. I switched the phone back to the first ear—nothing. Something was wrong with the hearing in my right ear.
In the months that followed, I visited several doctors and tried various treatments. Nothing worked. A virus had attacked my right ear, making me completely deaf on that side. Noisy environments became a challenge; conversations were hard to comprehend, and I often felt left out.
During that time, a friend said, "I know what you're going through is tough, but you have a couple of options. You can be a half-deaf person who complains about your loss and feels bitter, but nobody is going to want to be around you. Or you can be a half-deaf person who responds with grace and dignity, and your friends will still enjoy being with you."
The choice was mine. I didn't have control over a lot of things, but my attitude did not fall into that category.
Are you going through something unpleasant and feel helpless to change the situation? The Apostle Paul tells us to stay positive, to think about things that are good. Why? Because everyone suffers when you're in a bad mood—most of all, you!
If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change what you can—your attitude. How? By meditating on things that are true, honorable, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and worthy of praise.
"Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right,
and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that
are excellent and worthy of praise." - Philippians 4:8 (NLT)
