We pride ourselves on a fairly disciplined brushing regiment, limited sugar (sorta), and a soda-free environment around here.
So, while the returning Little Man's beaming smile warmed my heart as he came through the swinging door, the pile of paperwork in Real Gil's hand came as a bit of a surprise. As far as I know, a clean bill of tooth-health does not come with piles of x-rays and follow-up appointments.
Defeated. Yet again, at the dentist.
It's the one area in life where I really feel like "You reap what you sow" does not apply. For instance, this husband of mine flosses at least twice a day, brushes often enough to earn the chore of household toilet-scrubber (with a different brush of course), and schedules regular dentist visits every six months. I, on the other hand, go to the dentist once a year and do a shoddy flossing job. He reaps crowns and root canals, and I always get praised for "great flossing technique" by the hygienist (I feel so guilty!).
It seems our son takes after his father. Poor little guy...
It's taken a few hours, but I'm seeing gratitude even here - in the fact that we have a great pediatric dentist, we have the money to pay the bill, and Little Man made it through his first of many dentist visits. Before I can finish that sentence in this post, I find other things to be thankful for - novocaine and flavored fluoride and modern dentistry. See, this gratitude thing is contagious!
Then, I am reminded that the results are not up to me. The crop's harvest is not my job, only the sowing. Oh, and I'm grateful for this too - thank God the fruitfulness of a crop is not up to me; I can't imagine my mother-guilt if it was. So, I'm thankful, even when sowing didn't produce the crop I was going for...
Resting in the Surprise of Gratitude,
Karen
36. Words like these that bring comfort when the world shakes
37. Friends who love my kids, even after they took them for the weekend
38. A rock hunt with child-eyes to see the sparkles in the gravel
39. Warm beds
40. Surprise visitors at the front door
41. Pink smears of sunrise this morning
42. Great news!
43. The best phone call, in which I couldn't stop laughing and couldn't resist being encouraged
44. Squeals from the spa full of splashing kids
45. Facebook updates from Japan
46. Cold medicine, Kleenex, and healing bodies
47. Money to pay the dental bills
48. Grieving saints, who let me bring them before the Father (which can only be done as they share their burden, so glad they trusted us with these!)
49. My sister's growing baby tummy
50. Sugs squinty, finger-folded prayers
3 comments:
You are indeed full of gratitude when you can give thanks for dental bills :) But how blessed we are to be able to have dentists handy and affordable. I just popped over from Ann's to say Hi and celebrate His goodness with you!
I smiled all the way through thist post
Pink smears at sunrise! Always a reminder of God's mercies being new every morning!
Dentists???? My biggest fear in life. Nightmare type of fear! I was tortured as a child by a ruthless dentist and it's the one thing in my life I just can't get over. White knuckles clenching the arm of the chair here!!!!
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