All Smiles

I had the same dentist for the majority of my life. He finally retired two or three years ago and sold his practice to a younger man. And while I understood that he was ready to move on to his next phase in life, his retirement threw me for a loop. I can remember my first time in his office like it was yesterday.

I must have been in the second grade. My tooth had been giving me the blues. I was in all kinds of pain. My mom had to work, so I went to school until it was time for my dental appointment. I was miserable. My teacher had mercy on me and let me sleep until I was picked up from school. Fear of the dentist was not on my agenda that day. No ma’am! No sir! I was glad to get to someone that could fix my pain. He was kind. Introduced himself and got right to work. I left that day with my smile restored.

My dentist was a new friend. A new friend that I saw every 6 months from that point forward. My dental hygienist would scrape all the tartar and hard plaque off my teeth that had gathered since my last cleaning. Then I got to choose the flavor of polish that I wanted her to use on my teeth. In my younger years, I always went with bubble gum. She would then floss my teeth. Get out all the yucky stuff that was trapped in between my teeth. And then my friend…the dentist…would come and check for cavities. He always closed by telling me I had a beautiful smile.

Let me be clear. Although I like the results of regular dental appointments, I am not a huge fan of going to the dentist. I have a habit of getting lazy with my dental care. Listen, I brush my teeth every day. But I do not always floss daily. Oh, but when I get closer to those 6-month checkups, I become a new creature. I brush my teeth multiple times a day. I floss until I can’t get enough because I know that my old friend will be inspecting my smile closely.

What is your smile looking like these days? Can it handle a close inspection? I am not talking about the teeth in your mouth. I am talking about the condition of your soul. I am talking about your faith. I am talking about your walk with Christ. And mine too. It is so important for me to practice daily maintenance of my faith. Not just checking in on Sundays and Wednesdays. Not just preparing for a special service. I’m talking about daily prayer and Bible reading. I am talking daily pursuit of a closer relationship with Jesus.

Can we make it alright with sporadic check-ins with Christ? Absolutely. People do it all the time. And, from a distance, things appear to be well with them. Their smile looks alright. But closer inspection reveals the tartar. Closer inspection reveals the hard plaque that threatens to decay everything it touches. The decay turns to pain and quite often it is then that the believer reaches out for relief.

Let my life and experience be a cautionary tale for you. We don’t have to wait until we are in pain to connect with the One that can heal us. We can have regular check-ins with Him that point out areas in our lives and habits that have the potential to harm us. He wants to preserve our smiles. #wepreach