Lesson in the Dentist’s Chair
© Chris Schneider
It was a recent Monday morning when I reluctantly made my way to the dentist’s office for a routine cleaning. I knew I needed to go even though I had that lingering sense of dread which wouldn’t leave my thoughts. Been there and done that, I told myself, but now it was time to do it all over again. Oh well, I knew the drill.
Don’t get me wrong. I love my dentist. He is one of those rare individuals you meet every once in a great while whose enthusiasm level is off the charts. To be around him is to see life differently. His staff is pretty much the same way.
Anyway, there I was, settled into one of those long dental patient chairs with a little napkin draped around my neck, gazing out the window at the woods on the other side of the glass. That’s when Kelly, my kind and observant dental hygienist, started up her prep for my appointment. So far, so good, I reassured myself.
And so the cleaning began. Kelly placed her fine instruments into my mouth and right away asked me a question. “How is the job going?” she inquired. “Hmmm,” I thought to myself. “How do I answer her without sounding like I speak in a garbled foreign language?”
In that moment, Kelly’s instruments took a brief rest. Quickly, so as not to interfere with the task at hand, I explained to her how I had taken an interim job caring for and tutoring two boys in my neighborhood, ages 8 and 11. The job had been a great fit for everyone and I had enjoyed the boys immensely over the past several months. I also shared the fact that the family would be moving soon, as had been expected, and I would be right back to looking for a more permanent professional position. She sensed my anxiety.
Kelly’s instruments started back up again. I sat silently - her captive of sorts - and waited for her response. “Well,” she said matter of factly, “God provided this job for you and He will most certainly provide another.” Her words were firm, careful, and she was so full of faith. I was speechless, unable to utter a word even if I had wanted to.
The hour passed by harmlessly enough. Scrape, scrape. Polish, polish. And then the appointment was over. Happily, my teeth looked good and I felt great, relieved that once again I had managed to get through my session so well.
When I left, I climbed into my car and secured the seatbelt. Soon, my thoughts returned to the events of the previous hour. What had happened in that appointment was certainly more than I had expected. Was there a lesson here I was supposed to be learning, albeit an unexpected one? I thought so.
It was noteworthy, I told myself, that the minute I had stopped talking, God had found a way to speak up, openly conveying to me His thoughts through a wise and attentive lady – my dental hygienist. Yes, my interim job would be ending soon. He knew that. And the fact that I was concerned about what would be in store for me was also something He knew. The bottom line was He understood my concerns for the future long before I ever had a chance to chat with Kelly.
I smiled as new awareness began to slowly wash over me. God had been subtle alright, yet unmistakable in arranging for me to be in a dentist’s chair that day – forced silent for a short while – just long enough to let me know He was in control of my next career move.
“God will provide,” Kelly had reassured me. Her words were emphatic, yet gentle. They were words He wanted me to hear.
God had spoken when I could not, right there in a simple dentist’s chair. Only He could have managed to pull off putting a fresh smile on my face while at the very same time filling my heart with renewed hope for the future.
I’m so glad He and I made that appointment.
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
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