Much Ado about Creation

Yesterday, I was wondering whether I should go back and cook a simple meal, but I was extremely hungry. Hence I decided to just take a simple dinner of mee siam at a newly opened eatery near my office. At the first mouthful, I felt the food tasted strange and I could smell that the food had gone bad. My acute sense of smell and taste had enabled me to discern the freshness of the food. It was very subtle as it was just turning bad.

I quietly went over to the cashier to let him know. He apologised profusely and offered to change the mee siam to laksa for me. I guessed he was grateful that I did not speak in a loud voice and did not show my displeasure. (Having been in the food business before, I can understand the people running eateries.)

Since I was five years old, I had a severe accident with my right ear and soon developed chronic problems with both ears. I gradually learnt to lip read on my own, and somehow managed to do well in school!! None of my teachers realised I could hardly hear! If the teachers called my name from my back, I did not respond because I could not hear as I could not lip read them!! Hence, there were numerous times when I was punished by being made to stand in a corner with both hands up! It could be tiring putting your hands up for 40 whole minutes!!! Now I want to laugh because almost everyday, I was made to "surrender" with my hands up, as if there was a terrorist right in front of me with his machine gun!!! In fact, I enjoyed it, because I had a bird's eye view of the classroom and could "hear" better as I could lip read better. Morever in a standing position, it was impossible to fall asleep in class!

However, thanks to my poor hearing, I spent most of my time reading books and magazines. In my silent world, I enjoyed myself, immersed in my stories and articles. Reading helps me to improve my command of English. Hence I often produced the best essays in class!!!

Gradually, my world became more and more silent! I could not even hear the ringing of the telephone or the bell of the postman!!! My eldest sister took me to Sunday School when I was nine and I learnt about the miracles of Jesus! I prayed that one day, the Lord would also heal me! I argued with God that it was pointless to give me pretty ear lobes on the outside but diseased organs in the inside!! Everyday I prayed without fail, that the God who performed miracles thousands of years ago, would in His time, restore my hearing!

One day, my sister, Ean Ean, came back from her teaching at the St. Nicholas School for the Blind. She had seen a huge banner outside a building, and saw the words,
"Miracle Healing!" She asked me excitedly if I wanted to go. I nodded my head profusely. The Indian pastor prayed for me, and the world became noisy once again!
What a joy to hear the dogs barking, the frogs croaking, the neighbours talking as we made our way home!!! My mother was so stunned that she could not stop telling everybody that her youngest daughter could finally hear again!!

I would not say that my hearing is as good as most people, but it is enough for me to get by, and I am very contented. My ear specialist could not understand my hearing ability, because biologically speaking, I should be stone deaf because all the diseased internal organs in my ears had been removed! God had also protected me because the disease could have affected my brains!

Perhaps this is the reason why I have such an acute sense of smell and taste! When God removes something, He makes up for it in another. In the case of Lena Maria, she deftly made use of her left leg to write, type, sew, cook, paint and drive!

This is why I encouraged my niece-in-law, Esther, not to be grieved over her youngest daughter who was born with only one complete right hand. The youngest turned out to be the brightest of her four daughters!!

God is fair.... only He knows of the best plans He has for His creation. We give Him thanks in all circumstances, knowing that He is the loving Heavenly Father who cares so deeply for the things that He has created!


Gan Chau