Something I never bargained for or even paid to have done was to have a mouth full of straight teeth. I am sorry to say all three of our children needed to have their teeth straightened, though one hasn't had braces yet, the other two lived through the early teenage years with those ugly criss cross instruments of discomfort.
I was fortunate to have straight teeth. Yes I had my wisdom teeth pulled, for some people that know me that is not a surprise, to make more room so my teeth would continue to be straight. My jaw line was not long enough to accommodate wisdom teeth and all the other adult teeth we usually carry.
The unfortunate problem with my mouth of straight teeth is that they are close together. There are very few gaps which means flossing and brushing need to be done more frequently than usual. This also means the beginning of my day today included a visit to the Dentist to have two cavities cleaned out with fillings taking in the gaps.
It has been almost ten years since I had my last filling and though I have had to have a couple of crowns due to a broken tooth here or there I haven't had to deal with cavities. The Dentist told me since my teeth are so close together I have a propensity for cavities between my teeth. This of course means to keep my nice bright straight smile I have to floss and brush more often.
So today I decided it is better to have a mouthful of my own teeth than to replace all of them, so flossing and brushing will happen more frequenly. I also realized that sometimes the good things we have require some extra effort to keep them looking good, but in the end it is worth it.
We all have special gifts and even if it is only a smile of straight teeth it is important that we keep then functioning well. We need to not only use our gifts but we need to continue to sharper them and seek to reach our full potential in sharing them with others.
This also means that when we see others who have special gifts we need to remember not to be jealous of their gifts for they too must work at making their gifts the best they can.
The gifts we have, the appearance God has given us, must all receive the required maintenance to work well. Let us give God thanks for what we have received and try to make it the best ever. Even if it is only a smile.
Smiling with you,
Pastor Randy
