A Reminder at the Dentist's Office

A post has been brewing in my mind since about 1:30 today, but first things first!

CHINA HAS NOW PROCESSED THROUGH MARCH 20th of 2006! That's 6 more days worth of processing. The number of days is increasing or at least holding steady at 6. Still, at this rate, Ben and I are forecasting late 2009 at the earliest and most likely spring of 2010 before we actually bring Maia Grace home! Even just seeing March 20th and knowing that we're almost exactly one month of log-in dates away, gives me serious butterflies! I joke to myself a lot that when they get to April, they'll process up to the 27th and leave us hanging! We're the 28th of April, which, by the way, happened to be Ava's birthmother's birthday. Hmmm. I thought that was pretty cool. :)

And now, for what's been brewing in my head and heart today. Please bear with me until the end. I'm not sure how this is going to come out- just stream of consciousness, Holy Spirit leading I'm guessing. That's usually how my big thoughts and reflections come out. I just have to post this because it's usually in the every day appointments and mundane things that I see the Lord or am reminded of His promises. Lately, I've been feeling out of sync with the Lord, knowing it's me and not Him that's gotten distant. But, in His faithfulness, He's always pursuing me and drawing me back. Today, it was in the dentist's chair. God is everywhere. The other day, He was at the hair salon. Anyway, this was just too good for me not to share. I hope it resonates with you, too.

Long story short - my right jaw has been getting stuck open, yes, open, for about 10 years now, especially when I yawn too big or eat a candy apple (shucks- haven't had one of those in a long while) or eat a large hamburger. The frequency has increased as of late, and I made an appointment for an elaborate bite test with my dentist. Unfortunately, it didn't involve food.

Anyhoo.

The dentist required me to BE STILL for about 15 minutes with a cotton stick between my front teeth, holding my mouth open, to which I said, "ok, can do," thumbs up. I first thought about a magazine to read. Then, I thought that it would be good for me to BE STILL for a few minutes without any distractions!

He then told me the next part would be difficult. I thought to myself, "Oh, brother. What?!"

He said I would have to let go of control of my lower jaw bone completely and let him control it. He said a lot of people struggle to do that - let go of control of their jaw. It just feels funny to people to surrender control of that joint that they use constantly, especially after being in the habit of controlling it.

Then it hit me, with that cotton thing between my teeth and my lips getting really dry...

I pretended like my dentist was the Lord. Weird, I know, but stick with me.

I was still.

I relaxed my jaw.

And I let him take control.

Completely.

It felt so good to let it go- the stiffness, the favoring of it - to let it go - completely.

In all serious, how often would I say I do that in every day life? Let the Lord have control of my deepest concerns for myself and those I love dearly? How many times, do I clinch my jaw, and say, "Lord, I've got this." Unfortunately, the answer to that would be many times.

Back to the dentist's chair. As I let him "have" my jaw and manipulate it up and down in his "I know what I'm doing" hands, he was able and willing to find the problem areas- some minor and some rather major and then quickly and quietly and deliberately, he whittled away and ground my teeth down. You see, my bite had not been right for years. It was uneven, thereby putting pressure on the right side, causing my jaw to try to compensate, becoming inflamed and out of whack, which then affected my eating and yawning -two pretty important parts of my life!

Seeing the parallel here? Boy, it hit me like a ton of bricks.

After I sat up and shook the dentist's hand, he asked me if I felt better.

I felt so much relief that I just had to tell him about my revelation! There I was sitting with a big poof in my hair from being in the chair upside down for so long, and I poured out to him something like this- "I understood relinquishing control of my jaw to you, because I'm oh so familiar with trying to do that with the Lord! Oh, and yes, I feel SO much better!

When I surrender control of whatever it may be, and I let the Lord do it, I experience freedom!

I remember so clearly the day that Ava's birthmother called me and said that the birthfather was having second thoughts, etc. I remember where I was sitting, what was in front of me and what I said to my family and Patty and Brian, the family we were staying with in Georgia.

"God has got this. I will NOT be fearful or afraid, because I trust Him. Completely." I don't think I've ever trusted the Lord more in any moment in my entire life than at that moment. I remember that moment now when I have trust issues with Him. Yeah, I wish I could say I always respond like that, but I don't. The fact that I'm just dust kicks in, and I get fearful.

The truth is that the Lord really does have it - all of it - our families, ourselves, our situations, our fights with laundry, everything.

So, we can be still and let Him take over control. When we do that, I have a hunch that we'll experience GREAT freedom.

And...

We may just get some problem areas that have been bugging us for awhile...

FIXED

Oh, what good news and a good reminder that was today for this wandering, thirsty woman who needed a good refreshing drink.

Thank, you, Dr. Proffitt, who is probably NOT reading my blog, and thank you, Father, who knows my heart, this ever wandering, emotional, crazy woman's, not finished with my journey yet, heart.

Peace to you today!

I so want to go to Fannie Farkles in Gatlinburg and get a candy apple.

Maybe soon...

Emily