Wednesday, March 6, 2024
“Send a Note or Card to Your Dentist”
When you think about the physical characteristics of our first two presidents, George Washington and John Adams, what images enter your mind? You might be able to identify one as very tall and the other as very short, but physically, what do they have in common? Yeah, you guessed it, they were both well-known for their terrible teeth.
It’s National Dentist Day, which is obscure enough. However, when do we ever thank our dentists for anything? For most of us, going to the dentist is just a notch below going to the State Revenue Office. Since we were old enough to know what a dentist’s chair looks like, we’ve dreaded our appointments.
Okay, maybe you’re the one person in the world who actually likes going to the dentist. But even if that’s you, when was the last time you sent our dentist’s office a “Thank You” note for taking care of you? How about, never?
Through personal experience, we have learned that not going to the dentist can yield some terrible results. When our chompers aren’t working right, it can be extremely painful, really inconvenient, and sometimes, downright embarrassing. (Fun Factoid: Did you know that Thomas Jefferson used to publicly make fun of George Washington and John Adams about their teeth?)
Yeah, we like our teeth. We value our smile but it’s doubtful that we are smiling when we enter the dentist’s office. It’s expensive and painful on many levels, yet, in many respects, absolutely essential. So why can’t we be thankful? It seems like we would welcome them with a bear hug! They are fully aware that we don’t want to be there and they still do their best to take care of us with gentle hands, a welcoming heart, and a love for people.
Today’s Lenten Challenge is to send a note or card to our dentist. This includes their staff and administrative personnel. Anyone who works in our dentist’s office qualifies for today’s Challenge. In case you don’t have anything nice to say to them, pray about it and say something positive and professional. In fact, prayer should probably be part of this challenge. We should be thanking God for giving us people who vacuum our slobber, floss six months’ worth of food particles from between our teeth, and wash our yuck down the drain.
Today is a great day to give a smile, especially to dentists!
“For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things.” (Psalm 81:10, NLT)
