One morning when I was in 5th grade, I woke up with a toothache. Mom jokingly told me to tell the dentist, not her. During my lunch hour, I went across the street from school and had my tooth pulled.

When I got home, I threw the tooth in Mom’s lap and told her she owed Dr. Brown $4. She freaked. She was used to John and Sam yelling all the way to the Dentist and couldn't believe I went by myself. She told me she was very proud of me.

I, now, freak dentists out because if I have a cavity, I tell them to drill it and fill it. I see no need for a shot to deaden the nerve. They are never supposed to hit the nerve when drilling to fill a tooth.

One dentist said the nerves were dead in a tooth and I needed a root canal job. I told him if the nerve was dead that I did not need a shot for him to drill it. The nerve was not dead. He filled the tooth instead. Saved myself a lot of money and it only hurt for a split second.

We have been conditioned to think that pain is a bad thing; but pain helps us know when to stop. Pain lets us know when we are doing something wrong. If pain is your friend, it can serve you well. Think about it. After you touch a hot grill, will you ever do it again?

Without pain, we would destroy ourselves. If it didn't hurt to walk on a broken leg, we would keep going and the bone would never mend. The same is true with our spiritual condition. It takes physical or emotional pain to stop us long enough to take care of our souls.

Psa 25:16 - 18 Turn Yourself to me, and have mercy on me, For I am desolate and afflicted. The troubles of my heart have enlarged; Bring me out of my distresses! Look on my affliction and my pain, And forgive all my sins.

Mat 9:2 - 5 Then behold, they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, "Son, be of good cheer; your sins are forgiven you." And at once some of the scribes said within themselves, "This Man blasphemes!" But Jesus, knowing their thoughts, said, "Why do you think evil in your hearts? "For which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, 'Arise and walk'?

3 John 1:2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

Picture of teeth from product CD that came with Print Shop 6.0

I've Seen & Heard of Jesus by Frances M. McCrory-Meservy

Getting to Know Jesus (Chapter I)

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