Dealing with the Unexpected…

  About three months ago, I noticed a sensitive area in the gums around one of my teeth. After an x-ray and an examination by our dentist, an infection was discovered down in the root of a molar. His advice was to have a root canal as soon as possible. 

   Al and I had already scheduled a trip to Michigan to help celebrate our youngest grandson’s birthday. This complicated setting up an appointment for the procedure. With the departure date rapidly approaching, an appointment couldn’t be scheduled with our regular dentist; but his secretary told me that one of the other doctors in the office would able to help me.

   An appointment was arranged for a Friday morning only three days before our trip east, which was an answer to prayer and a great relief. On that morning, however, there were some complications in the tooth itself which prevented the new dentist from doing the root canal. It was a shock when he informed me that it needed to come out.

   “You mean pull my tooth, right here, right now?” I gasped. Of course there was the option of getting up out of the dental chair and leaving. However the infection might spread, resulting in the loss of more teeth. So, I reluctantly gave him the consent to proceed with the extraction.

   There was plenty of time to pray for strength and calmness while waiting for the area around that tooth to get numb. When the doctor came back into the room, I was feeling better. It turned out to be a lengthy process because the tough old roots just wouldn’t let go of their hold on the jawbone. With three loud cracks the molar finally broke into pieces. Success! Hurray! 

   The dentist told me that it would take several months to heal before an artificial tooth could be put into the space between the teeth. We decided to go ahead with the trip to Michigan as planned. Being with the grandkids actually made me forget all of the pain in my jaw, at least temporarily! And five year old Elliot, the birthday boy, was very impressed by the gaping space where the molar had been.

   “Oh my gosh,” he gasped dramatically when I opened up my mouth to show him. My feelings exactly!

     I decided to write about my “unexpected” experience earlier this week. Just as I was working on the computer on Tuesday morning, the telephone rang. It was someone from the gym down in Porterville rapidly talking about Al’s having chest pains, his lying on a bench in the locker room and an ambulance being on the way to get him.

   It took a few minutes before his words sank in. He couldn’t be talking about my husband, could he? Surely it was somebody else. Finally, the staff member let Al speak to me on the phone. He quickly reassured me that it wasn’t a heart attack, but that he had dislocated his artificial hip while in the locker room and was in great pain.

   In comparison to Al’s accident, the experience of the pulled tooth seemed very minor indeed. Everything was put into a new perspective. The laptop was quickly packed up, along with a few other personal items and neighbors were contacted for help in the emergency. One offered to drive me down to Porterville and the other to care for our two dogs while we were at the hospital. Thank God for good neighbors!

   After the initial shock wears off when something completely unexpected happens, it is reassuring to turn to the Lord for help, just as a little child would cry out to a loving parent. He is faithful to hear us and to provide the help we need. He loves us!

 “Wait for the Lord; be strong and take heart and wait for the Lord.” Psalm 27:14 NIV