Stuffy Ears

I’m sitting here with a box of tissues next to me.
I have been struggling with a head cold for the past five days.
Sneezing, watery eyes, a different sound to my voice.
More of a nuisance than anything.

I do not like to take medicine, but I relented and began to take something for this cold.
However, no matter what you do, colds just have to run their course.
They will end as long as we rest, drink fluids, and not overdo.

It is annoying when you have stuffy ears.
It is annoying when you can’t smell things because your nose is stuffy.
It is annoying when things don’t taste the same.
It is annoying, but it is temporary.

When my oldest daughter was a toddler, she got frequent ear infections.
We would finish a ten-day antibiotic treatment, and soon her ears would be infected again.
It was frustrating for her and for me.

The odd thing was she never had any ear pain and she never ran a fever.
The only symptom she would have would be that her hearing would go down.
It took a lot of detective work to put the pieces together.

I grew more and more frustrated as each ear infection progressed.
Our doctor at the time insisted that she go on a stronger medicine.
As a young mother, with my first child, I listened to the advice I was given.

Until one day, the stronger medicine gave her a rash all over her body.
She was allergic to the stronger antibiotic.
I prayed and considered what could be done to alleviate her ear infections.

Our doctor suggested that we go to an ear, nose, and throat doctor.
I agreed and took my daughter to see him.
A hearing test was done; her hearing was diminished.

The doctor, who had never met my daughter or me until that day, came in.
After looking at the results said, She will need to have tubes placed in her ears.
I thought of many questions I wanted to ask about the procedure.
Could she still swim? Could the tubes fall out? Would they ever have to be removed?

He went on and on about risks and possible permanent hearing loss if we didn’t do this.
I grew more frustrated.
He was ready to schedule the procedure.

I needed time to think.
I needed time to talk to my family doctor.
I needed time to pray.

I prayed all the way home while she slept in her car seat.
On the way, there was illumination.
When I got home, I called the doctor.

I told him everything that had happened.
I did not agree with the ENT doctor, or his bedside manner.
Doctor, I used to suffer from allergies in the spring and fall when I was a little girl.
Could her ear infections be the result of allergies?

He was quiet on the other end of the phone at first.
They absolutely could; there’s only one way to find out.
He prescribed an allergy medicine that was not available over the counter back then.
She was to begin taking the antihistamine morning and night.

It became part of her routine.
We had a special colorful spoon and she readily took her medicine.
Her ear infections cleared up and never returned.

The Eustachian tubes in children are smaller and more level than those of adults.
If a child has a cold, or allergy, those tubes fill with fluid.
The fluid tends to stay there in the tube rather than drain out.

All of that fluid in my daughter’s ears had nowhere to go and pressed against her eardrum.
That is when her hearing would diminish.
I remember her sitting close to the stereo speakers or the television.
That was my only clue.

How happy she was when her ear infections finally cleared.
How wonderful to be able to hear everything clearly, with no permanent hearing loss.
There were no more muffled sounds, only clarity.

To whom can I speak and give warning? Who will listen to Me? Their ears are closed so they cannot hear, the word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.
(Jeremiah 6:10)

Many people walk around with stuffy ears.
Their hearing is diminished; the sounds are muffled.
If they are far away from the Source they cannot discern the message.
Even when they finally hear the message, many are offended by what they hear.

Their ears need to be unplugged.
The blockage needs to be drained away.
Only then will they hear clearly.

You can never be sure you are getting the whole message when your ears are stuffy.
You hear sounds, but not accurately.
You hear words, but you can’t discern their meaning.

A temporary fix acts as a Band-Aid.
It will alleviate the symptoms for a time.
It will not permanently solve the problem.

We need our ears to be opened so that we can hear the Word of God.
We need our ears to be opened so that we can discern His call.
We need our ears to be opened so that we can listen for His voice.

Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with Me. (Revelation 3:20)

Imagine Jesus knocking and you are unable to hear Him!
Imagine missing that glorious meal fellowship with the Lord Jesus.
All because you are unable to hear His voice.

The world and its noises build up and build up until our ears are clogged.
We are unable to hear the quiet whisper of the Lord amidst the worldly din.

Unclog your ears!
Hear His voice.
Listen to what He has to say to you.
What joy you will have when you can finally hear Him clearly.

He who has ears, let him hear! (Matthew 11:15)