Today is the Day!

I have lived in Georgia for twenty years without visiting a dentist except to take my kids, but this past Thursday a piece of a tooth fell out while I was eating tomato soup! My wife decieded she was going to make me a dental appointment, and she did, that very day! Now you know what I'm thinking, "Oh boy, the dentist, he's going to drill my teeth! My gums are going to bleed, and my mouth is going to hurt." Of course, most of us don't like pain. In fact, we don't even like discomfort, and I knew this wasn't going to be a comfortable experience. I dreaded it. One reason that I dreaded it so was simply because I had procrastinated going for so long. I just knew I would be in trouble with the dentist and his hygienist. However, life is full on uncomfortable things, adversity, pain, and heart ache. Going to the dentist is just a liitle snap shot of life.

There are a lot of people who live by that old adage, "Never do today what you can put off until tomorrow." My father-in-law has often said through the years, "pay me now, or pay me later." This dental trip definitely fall into those categories. Regular maintenance, paid for a little at a time, will keep you from costly payments later. That's true with your car, with taking care of equipment, taking care of your home, and taking care of your teeth! As it turns out the folks at the dental office are certainly going to see me regularly now, every Thurday morning for the next eight weeks! They want to spend the next four weeks just scraping my teet beneath the gum line! Wow, is that ever going to hurt? The they want to extract all four of my wisdom teeth, and do a root canal on that tooth that caused all this trouble in the first place! You know what I'm thinking? If only I had kept up regular visits to the dentist, even just once a year, I wouldn't be facing all of this now. "An ounce of prevention is worth way more than a pound of cure. Well, it's to late now. Here we go. Today it was basically just lot's of pictures, then next week all of the "fun" begins. Well, let's remember another old adage here, "into each life some rain must fall." It is just raining on my parade right now; that's all.

Well, I have taken a deep breath and dove into this dental project. Now, I'm committed. So many other areas of our live are like this little snapshot. Maybe, your need this morning is a long way from dental needs. Perhaps there is a relationship problem. It needed some maintenance years ago, but you just procrastinated. Now, it seems like just saying, "I'm sorry," isn't near enough. So, you put it off. The longer you put it off, the more bitterness grows. Perhaps it seems not that it is impossible to reconcile that relationship. Failure to treat my dental needs, will only make matters worse. Likewise, failure to take some positive action about your situation will only allow things to get worse.

It's time to use that victory slogan, that the tennis shoe company, Nike, has made famous,"just do it." The Bible says this in 2 Corinthians 6:2 (KJV),

behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.

Later in the New Testamet Hebrews 4:7 (KJV) records,

To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Although I know the next eight trips to the dentist won't be pleasant, I understand that they are necessary, and I am grateful to have the opportunity to halt the deterioration. Today, you may be facing an awesome opportunity, too. Don't miss it. Do it, now. Don't let deterioration continue. Listen to God; He is speaking to you. Have a blessed day!