A Trip to the Dentist

I had to go to the dentist today. Yuck. I do not have particularly good teeth. I'm in the process of getting my fifth, yes count them, that's five crowns in my mouth. If they were a little less expensive I wouldn't worry so much. Which brings me to the real purpose of this post.

Earlier today (before the dental appointment) in my daily devotions the Lord took me to IThessalonians 5:16-18 "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." So I started singing, "Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice...."(I hadn't gotten to the part about being thankful yet, but I was praying!)

A little later my husband called and asked for prayer about some work related stuff. I asked him to pray for me because I was down and out about this crown. He said he would pray for me and I said I would pray for him and then he told me to read Romans 8:28. Now I'm not the greatest verse memorizer in the world but I do have that one down, "All things work for good for them that love the Lord and are the called according to His purpose." This was reassurance. I love the Lord and am a member of the called and my deepest desire is to be used for His purpose so He will work everything for good. I was beginning to be thankful in my circumstance.

Still a little while later I was sitting in the dental chair waiting for the lidocaine to kick in. The dentist had assured me that I would not need a root canal, but that the tooth (with a large filling) had cracked and had to have a crown. I was thankful and that's when the Lord showed me that if it hadn't cracked, I may have ended up with a root canal...that He had everything under control and that He would provide. Of course, the question that immediatly came to mind was, "How Lord?" Then he lead me to a passage in Elizabeth Elliot's book Keep A Quiet Heart which I had brought along to read as I waited, "A close and fretful inquiry into how spiritual things 'work' is an exercise in futility. Even wondering how 'natural' things are going to work if you bring God into them--how God will answer a prayer for money, for example,...is sometimes a waste of energy. God knows how. Why should I bother my head about it if I've turned it over to Him?" Why indeed. So I can work myself into a lather about it? For what purpose? Certainly not His purpose. God's will for me in Christ Jesus is that I always be rejoicing, pray without ceasing and to be thankful in everything. He will then work out His purpose for my good and His glory.

So God can use a trip to the dentist and a bad tooth to reveal Himself. Thank you Lord, where would I be without You?