Change of plans
I was called to the dentist office for a consultation. You see, my dentist and my periodontist – yes, I have two people living in my mouth – are concerned because a long-time gap in my bite has led to wobbly teeth. The two doctors have talked among themselves and I went to the appointment thinking I was going to be given a plan to shore up my mouth and I would learn how long it would take and how much it would cost and we’d schedule it out. But that didn’t happen.
I learned the doctors wanted to take a different approach that required more information. So for an hour I endured impressions and bite and clinching tests and various facial measurements. I don’t understand it all but one gadget apparently maps the symmetry of my face – or the asymmetry as it might be. The reasoning behind it all is to not make a quick, short-term fix but instead implement a long-term solution that will keep me smiling and chewing with my own teeth for 30 years or more.
The ultimate goal, they said, is “occlusal harmony.” It sounded like something they made up, so I looked it up in an on-line medical dictionary and it’s a real thing. It’s basically about teeth, jawbone, joints, muscles and nerves all working properly together.
Change of plans, slowing down, working toward harmony – isn’t that the Easter story? God’s people wanted a messiah to come make the world right and put their lives in harmony, but the messiah that came was not what they expected. Instead of coming with a quick fix to remove all the bad and bring in the good, his was a quieter, more thoughtful approach. He came to work with us, bring us along, help us know the right way to live over the long haul. He came to show us the way to harmony – between God and us, and between each other.
We don’t know if God changed his mind and took a second look at what was happening with his creation, or if his people simply misinterpreted the plans spoken through the prophets for generations. But the final plan was different. It requires patience, endurance, communication, obedience, faith, hope and especially love.
I have not yet learned the new plan for my teeth, but I trust the doctors who are making the plans. May I also be as trusting with the Christ of Easter.