It’s a Prayer Thang

I was 18 when I had my first cavity. I was 19 when my wisdom teeth were cut out. I was in my twenties when I had a tooth shatter and the dentist could not get me numb. My dental health plummeted from that point and continued as my health started changing in my 30’s. 

I’ve had years of babying teeth, emergency visits, good experiences, bad experiences, and an “oh, no never again am I going back” experience. 

Needless to say, fear grabs me each time a trip to the dentist is needed. We all know my thoughts on fear, thanks to an amazing friend describing this reality, as:

False

Evidence

Appearing

Real

Oh boy. It does present itself as real. However, my experience yesterday challenged fear to its core and slayed it like I’ve never seen before.

“But when I am afraid, I will put my trust in you.”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭56:3‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Long story short, I almost walked out. Yes, I prayed the night before, I gave it up to the Lord, I prayed all the way to the office, I thought I was truly giving it to Him. Nope. Fear held back portions of experiences that I just couldn’t let go; especially, the “oh, no never again am I going back” moment. 

But something changed, the dentist looked me in the eye and said, trust me. Ding! Ding! Ding! Convicted! Where was my faith in God? My prayers were there but where was my trust? Immediately, I felt peace. It took ONE, might I repeat, ONE IV stick and soon I felt tired. I’ve never asked a medical professional before if they believed in prayer but the three ladies in the room with me did not balk at my question. When asked if they would pray over this procedure, all three were more than willing and as I fell away to a slumber, I heard their prayers.

“If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.”

‭‭James‬ ‭3:13‬ ‭NLT‬‬

After I came to, I learned amazing news:

1. Little bleeding- I’m a well known, profuse bleeder.

2. No stitches- I had one curved root that was a potential issue.

3. TWO extractions took 30 minutes- I was scheduled for an hour.

The dentist, herself, shared this news and said her assistant commented during the procedure that prayers were definitely answered and my procedure went shockingly well.

There’s so much to unpack here! Most importantly- I must praise!

Lord-

I praise the promises you keep. The trust you devoutly provide. I praise the patience you have with me. I praise your calm and peace. That you met me at a time that I needed you because there was no turning back. My infections were causing emergencies. I thank you for guiding the dental care professionals. I thank you for Holy Spirit praying over me, bringing peace to the room. Hallelujah!

The experience I had was a moment, where the Lord made His presence known not to only me, but three medical professionals who cast their ego aside, presented humility, and prayed. My experience of what typically is fear turned into peace. Hope.

“And his name will be the hope of all the world.”

‭‭Matthew‬ ‭12:21‬ ‭NLT‬‬

When we have a hope and faith, the journey becomes sweeter.

A beautiful road- taking me to my parent’s home.

Story Time

When I came to from sedation, I was so incredibly happy to see my nurse! Why? Because she didn’t get lost in Mexico. She was with me and I was thrilled. I was also thrilled the gauze was found. Because...all of the gauze in the world was lost in a labyrinth...in Mexico...which was my mouth.