By some estimates, the beloved hymn “Amazing Grace” is performed over 10 million times a year around the world. Imagine not being able to hear this sweet song!

 

Losing the ability to hear, or being born deaf, is unimaginable for many of us who have never experienced hearing loss, but there are some surprising upsides to being differently-abled in this way.

 

Deaf people develop keener senses of observation, touch, taste, and smell to compensate for their loss of hearing. What the hearing world may view as a loss, can lead to Sensory Superpowers for members of the deaf community.

 

ASL, or American Sign Language, is an incredibly rich language, and it’s the 6th most common language in the United States

 

Statistics show deaf people are safer drivers due to their ability to focus on the visual aspects of driving, and actually live longer than hearing people.

 

Ephesians 2:8–9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.”

 

Sometimes when we lose out on something, God’s grace sweeps in to fill up that space with other beautiful blessings in amazing ways.

 

Let’s pray.

 

Heavenly Father, sometimes we see differences as stumbling blocks, but your grace tells us otherwise. Help us to be noticers of where your grace shines a light in the lives of those around us, and to embrace the differences we encounter. Amen.