Thursday, January 31, 2008

X-rays, Cracks, and Restoration

Two weeks ago, I was fine. My mouth was fine, my teeth were fine. "Not so," said the dentist. He claimed that an x-ray proved otherwise. But I felt fine...no pain, no trouble chewing, it even looked fine. But the proof was on the film--my mouth was not fine. A crack in an old filling was threatening my oral health.

As I stared at the ceiling this morning with suction, guaze, and a drill in my mouth, it occured to me that this scenario was much parallel to a spiritual one. There are times in life when I have felt fine, looked fine, was not struggling particularly, yet when God looked on my heart He saw a problem. And the problem needed resolving. So He drilled and filled until my cracked self was filled with Him.

Even as the afternoon wore on and the anesthesia wore off, I realized there was another parallel. I hurt...a lot. The pain showed that surgery had been done, and came after the worst was over. That fits...sin can lay quietly and painlessly in my heart, but God knows that eventually it will threaten my spiritual health. The removal is painful and the pain can linger, though the unrooting is done. But in the end, I receive from my Lord what I received my dentist...complete restoration.

Joyously,
-J

(c) 2008

3 comments:

Beth@playinwiththepaulsens! said...

HEY!!! Did not know you switched!!! Yipee!
SOOOO sorry about your pain!
Love the parallel!!!
Very well written!!

Anonymous said...

This must be a theme for me for the month. I told you that the opener for PWOC was the kind of pits we get into and how to get out, yes? Hmmm - wonder what it means that I keep getting hit with this. Anything I should know :) ? Don't answer that - you live with me and I'd rather not know THAT much truth. --Tina

Anonymous said...

Hey, I have to figure this out. Rachel the great