Although Nate had naturally straight teeth and no cavities, our children inherited my trouble-prone mouth. Five of the seven needed braces, and they’ve endured enough fillings to put the dentist in a Mercedes.
Today I got a taste of their futures, driving to the Chicago area to visit my regular dentist. Actually there’s nothing regular about him, since he’s a specialist in root canals. Normal mouths don’t have a “regular” root canal man, and I’m not proud to say today’s procedure was my sixth.
Admittedly, the process is less of an ordeal than it used to be in the ‘70’s with those pin-like screws being hand-turned into the nerve and then yanked out again and again. Today’s specialist labored behind magnifying goggles and worked on my tooth with power tools through the eye of a microscope.
After 90 minutes of having had my mouth open, I was finally standing at the front desk with the doctor. “Here are two packets of quadruple strength ibuprofen. Take one right now. Also, I’m giving you a prescription for Vicodin, should you need it. And because we found so much infection, you’ll have to take antibiotics for a while.” He shook my hand and told me to have a nice afternoon.
I thought about my poor, battered tooth. A back molar, it had faithfully done its job without complaint until a couple of months ago when a dull ache started calling for my attention. When I didn’t respond, the ache grew worse and swelling started in the gums, along with occasional sharp pangs. While I was still thinking I hadn’t flossed well enough, an abscess had taken hold. And today the raw truth came out.
Nothing stays hidden forever. God says he’ll bring everything into the open one day, all of our secrets. Nothing escapes his notice, and eventually he’ll prove it to us by showing us (and others) what’s been going on “in the dark.” How goofy to think we could ever pull the wool over God’s eyes or sneak under his radar.
Just recently I learned a friend’s husband had taken up with a woman at his office. He’d kept the relationship under wraps until recently when, against his will, the truth came out, breaking my friend’s heart and destroying their marriage. He thought he could live with one foot in each world, keeping secrets from both women.
To live uprightly when no one’s watching is God’s challenge for all of us every day. Just as he saw my abscess hiding deep in my jaw in its early stages, he sees every choice we make and each action we take, even “in the dark.” For some, the consequences of revealed secrets may be so severe, they’ll long for the simplicity of 90 minutes with the root canal doctor.
“Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in darkness and think, ‘Who sees us? Who will know’?” (Isaiah 29:15)
Ephesians 5:12-14
It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. But everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light. This is why it is said:
“Wake up, sleeper,
rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you.”
–There are many testimonies, including mine, of darkness being exposed to the Light and becoming light. I can honestly say that what used to be a stumbling block is now a stepping stone. Pray for the faith to expose every area of darkness to the Light, and He will do the rest.
It truly is a “root” issue, but not the kind the dentist can help! Thankfully, there is One who can.
Thanks for the reminder to “live in the light.”
Psalm 139: 1-12
No doubt all the sugar you’ve eaten throughout your lifetime is nowcatching up with you.
After going through a divorce from an almost 31 yr marriage, it was interesting to me – how many things about my body I had neglected ovr the years – thinking other things were more important. Listening to many teachings on our body as the ‘temple of god’ it finally soaked in….MY body is TRULY precious to HIM…and how I care for it should be a VERY IMPORTANT priorty. i’m far from perfect in doing so….but, in retrospect….I’m getting better all the time..and I don’t feel one bit guilty or selfish in doing so…no matter what!! We’re ALL still ‘UNDER CONSTRUCTION’..Until HE say “your work on earth is done, come on home”
Correction: TEMPLE OF – GOD
I, too, just learned from dear friends of deception within their marriage. His repentance is totally genuine now, but only time will tell if the damage done is irreversible. Though one always hopes for the “miracle” story, God plies His scalpel with wisdom and precision…no guaranteed outcomes when we ignore His loving warnings. And the collateral damage to children and grandchildren is all the more heart-breaking since it was avoidable! I’m sure he would gladly endure 90 minutes WITHOUT anesthetic having root canal surgery than this “amputation” he’s suffering now.
The amazing thing is how grateful he is to God for restoring his relationship to Him! God is so merciful to good repenters. I’m praying His mercy extends to these marriages. Many of us would be statistics now if not for His gorges of grace and fountains of forgiveness!