“No, I don’t want to! I don’t want to!” My 6-year-old daughter Hannah yelled yesterday at the dentist office. She refused to have her teeth looked at. She threw her arms around and tried to run out. The hygienist brought me in and said, “I’m sorry, I can’t get your daughter to cooperate.”
I’d heard that line before and I wanted to do everything I could to help. The dentist understood and told Hannah to rest a little and that he’d give her the time she needed. I apologized for her stubbornness. She’d done so well the last time we were there.
I reminded Hannah of how brave she was last year when she climbed the climbing wall at camp and hit the buzzer for the first time. How brave she was when she swam in the deep end for the first time a few weeks ago. How brave she was for walking the halls of her school for the very first time last year.
She didn’t agree with me and I continued to wait for her to be fully ready.
When daddy told her she could ask the dentist any question she wanted, Hannah started softening up. When he told her to watch her big sister get her teeth cleaned, she saw it wasn’t so bad. He continued to encourage her.
30 minutes later, she willingly sat back in the chair and let the hygienist do her job. I was shocked. I wasn’t sure if her teeth were going to get cleaned that day. They might not have without daddy.
It got me thinking a lot about my faith. How often do I tell God, “No, I don’t want to! I don’t want to!” when all the while, he’s gently prodding me towards what is best and good for my life:
– self-control
– discipline
– purity of heart and mind
– abundant life
– stepping out of the kingdom of “me”
– peace
– trust
– His living Word
– faithfulness and more.
How often do I fear what He has in store for me?
I don’t always trust his goodness and plan for my life. I’d rather control it and that never works out well.
Truth is, I’m just like Hannah in that dentist chair- refusing to accept all the good things God has for me because maybe I don’t believe I deserve them or maybe I fear what’s on the other side. When I remember who God is- my heavenly Father who loves and cares for me and knows every hair on my head, I realize just how ridiculous fear is.
I have no reason to fear or fret because, in the end, God knows best. He knows me better than I even know myself. He is also there to protect me from what might hurt me.
That evening, I was thankful we survived the dentist with 4 kids (3 hours later) and they were excited about their new Disney toothbrushes and mouthwash. Hannah sure was happy it was over. As she rested on Jeremiah’s chest, it was yet another reminder of exactly how I am to be with my Heavenly Father.
Blessings,
Samantha Krieger
Like What You Read? Read more from Samantha in her book Quiet Time: A 30-day Devotional Retreat for Moms in the Trenches
