Do you ever have this small fear of what would happen when things go south? Or afraid that you might go through the bad tunnel memory again? Boy this gal does – almost every single day. My small fear is being a burden to talk to. Before going to an event or to store/restaurant, I always make a quick prayer – hoping that cashier would be patient with me. Hoping that any friend would be willing to repeat in a noisy environment. Hoping that I would not miss anything important over a phone call or meeting at work.
I know that I am not perfect and no one is. It is still a work in progress of letting that small fear go. Don’t get me wrong – I love every detail that God created about me. All of the good, the flaws, and the craziness. If it wasn’t for those struggles, I would not appreciate friendships more. I would not appreciate every single conversation more. I would not appreciate every person who put the effort to talk to me more. Praise the Lord for these small blessings!
So let’s get into it! Miscommunication sucks. We’ll always run into it and always will. Hearing impaired people deal with this almost 24/7. Here are the top three tips that would help anyone especially hearing impaired and honestly will make their day!
Number #1 | Patience
I know. I know it’s obvious.. However it is easy to lose it after a couple of tries. It is easy to lose it due to having a bad day. I genuinely believe that everyone deserve never-ending patience, respect, and love. Everyone INCLUDING people who needs some fried chicken, sweet tea, and a whole lot of Jesus. Here’s couple of verses to help:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” – Matthew 22:39
“Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” – Ephesians 4:2
“Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” – Romans 12:10-13
Everyone have different paths, going through all kinds of obstacles. Some may be anxious over a situation. Some may be stressed from work or stressed financially. Some may be suffering from trauma or depression. Some may be still angry from a rough morning. Whatever you are going through, give it all to God. Every single emotion, you give it ALL to him. He cares for you and will always be there every step of the way. Let Him replace your fear, anger, sadness with His peace, hope, and love. We need and always will need more of Him in this world.
God is our Rock
God is our Light
God is our Sweet Sweet Love
and We can never get enough of Him!
Number #2 | Enunciate
Y’all.. I cannot stress this enough how important Enunciation is. I have two biggest pet peeves that all hearing impaired would probably agree with. Those two pet peeves are called Thristy Camel and Grumpy Mumbler.
Thirsty Camel: An over-actor who talks big and slow when the whole world can see his/her mouth, in attempt to enunciate. Usually looks like a drooling camel drinking water.
Grumpy Mumbler: A person looks down and mumbles the words quietly. This mumbler usually do not want to look in your face when talking.
Please do not be one of these people. Look at that person’s beautiful face, talk in average speed, enunciate, and repeat as needed. Trust Me – It makes all the difference!
Number #3 | Repeat Repeat Repeat
Lastly Repeat. Be willing to repeat and never say “Never Mind.” Hearing Impaired wants to hear your story. Take it as a compliment whenever we ask you to repeat. I used to be terrified of asking someone to repeat their sentence or story. I could not bear to see them sigh, roll their eyes, or say never mind. Keep this in mind, whenever you do these things, you will make us feel like a burden to talk to and it is not a pretty feeling.. If they do not get after a few times, rephrase your sentence. Write it down. Do not give up! We want to hear your story!
I know these three tips are pretty simple and straightforward but it truly will make a difference. Let’s end this with a little prayer:
Lord,
Guide us to be devoted to one another in love. Help us to honor one another above ourselves. Give us the overabundance of patience and love towards our brothers and sisters. Fill us full of Your sweet compassion and grace to help one in need. We can never get enough of Your Word, Your love, and Your peace. We love You and will always praise You. Always. In Jesus’ Precious Name we pray.
Amen
PS: Check out this video – Steamline Communication for Hearing Impaired | 3 Tips + Personal Story
And She Did 