The Other Side of the Coin
One bite is all it took to realize— I had a cavity—or at least it felt as though I did. Just to be sure, swishing cold water into the crevices confirmed it. It had been one of those years. A doctor appointment here, dental work there, and now, more dental work. Tis the season, I thought.
Remembering well the generation before us running for numerous appointments trying to hold things together made me realize I’d perhaps now entered a new stage—or not. Denial doesn’t seem to do much, but staying on top of things will, I thought. Yes, just staying on top of things is always a good thing, no matter the stage or age. Trouble is, it was Friday when the pain made itself known and Monday was a whole two days away. Trying to remember whether it was Mondays or Fridays that my dentist office is closed brought uninvited anxiety over the situation. Tapping the tooth every two minutes didn’t bring much relief. It merely served as a reminder that the waiting game was on.
“We have dentist appointments in October,” was the friendly reminder which came from the keeper of calendars in our home. However, spiraling down by not knowing what was actually happening can be more intense than what the reality of any given situation actually is. I know. I major in this in life. My mind can quickly spiral as it paints some pictures more surreal than anything even remotely possible. Yup—hog wild my imagination goes. “If I don’t get there on time, I just know I’ll have to have a root canal,” I mused aloud. The imagination station was in full gear. I wonder if I they will have to pull it? I wonder if it’s connected to the other tooth right next to it and both will need to be fixed? I wonder if I should have gotten in there sooner? I wonder if I should drive up the night before and be ready to march into the office first thing Monday morning? I didn’t exactly voice each one aloud, but they were ruminating within as I continued to monkey with the tooth throughout the weekend.
When Monday morning rolled around and an appointment was made, come to find out, there is no cavity. My tooth needed a little adjusting in one area and as he did the work, within minutes it was fixed. In the end, the dentist showed me the other side of the coin and helped me see things from a different perspective. It’s not always what we think—thus, being patient and waiting for the truth of what’s actually happening can offer hope in the midst of our healing.
Leaning into Roman 5:3-4 sheds light on hope. “We also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character and character, hope.” In Him our hope—not in what our perception is of any given circumstance, but in Him. Amen.
