The Long Term Benefit

A light is blinding my eyes as a masked person draws near with a sharp object in hand. My knuckles are white from the clenched fists. Fear and trepidation flood my body…I am at the dentist office to have my teeth cleaned. Why am I so apprehensive about this visit? 

I have a friend who actually looks forward with excitement at the prospect of going to the dentist. So why is my reaction so different from hers? Perhaps it is a matter of perspective. Maybe my friend likes going to the dentist because she looks at the long term benefit—clean, white, polished pearls to last a lifetime. I tend to look at the process of scraping, and whirring and poking which usually lasts for a moment instead of looking at the end product. 

My reaction to life can be a lot like the visit to the dentist. If I am only looking at today, the situation might look bleak and frightening, but when I look at the long range viewpoint it can be analyzed in an entirely different way. When I see the challenges as methods of polishing and cleansing me for my future home in heaven, they don’t seem nearly so bad. I still might not like or enjoy the process, but I’m sure I will be glad I have endured in the long run in order to receive the benefit.

Isaiah 38:17 Surely it was for my benefit that I suffered such anguish. In your love you kept me from the pit of destruction; you have put all my sins behind your back.

Comments

Angie @ Flibbertigibberish said…
Hi Olga! I rarely comment on your blog because I'm usually reading while nursing - and typing with one hand is a challenge! But today I had to put the baby down to say that I LOVE the dentist. I think for me, it's like going to the spa. (Okay, not quite!) I get to lay down in a chair for an hour, close my eyes, and no one needs me to get juice for them, change their diaper or get something off of a high shelf. It's relaxing. But yes... I'm in the minority for SURE! You may remember that Gary really, really despises a trip to the dentist. I guess he doesn't need that break as much as I do! ;)

Have a great day!
February 7, 2011 at 9:49 AM
Olga Wright Griffin said…
Angie, I loved your comment. You certainly have every right to have at least one hour off every six months to sit back, put your feet up and relax. Actually you deserve much more than that, but with all of your little ones it is probably hard to do. If you, Gary and the kids could find some time to get to the mountains,I would be happy to give you some time to yourself.
February 7, 2011 at 8:21 PM
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