There Is a Name

I dread trips to the dentist. I avoid them avidly. Not very adult, I know, but I figure I’ve lived long enough to be childish about some things even when my common sense tells me how foolish I am.

So when I sat down to my annual pre-Easter jelly bean buffet (all right, so one bag does not a buffet make, but I did some damage), and came up with a hole in the front of my mouth where my crown had been, I felt like I had been chastised. Since giving up laughter and big wide smiles is not an option, I made a dental appointment.

I have an unhealthy and almost paranoid fear of the dentist. I know why but that’s another story that you don’t really need or want to hear. I found a dentist in northern Virginia that was kind and understanding. I swore I would continue to make the seven hour drive so that he could go on treating me.

Not entirely practical, I realize now. (See above paragraph on gaping hole in mouth.) Steve had visited a dental clinic in Sumter and, because he is a patient, we assumed they would give me an immediate appointment as a new patient as well, which they did.

So I drove over today, heart fluttering. As I sat in the waiting room with my crown in my purse, I became aware of the Newsboys singing “In the Hand of God” and I began to smile. How cool was it that my dentist played contemporary Christian music! I relaxed a bit and, being the only one in the waiting room, felt free to wander and look at the intriguing pictures on the walls. There were children there – all ages and nationalities and all smiling. Then I noticed that some of them had scriptures on the pictures. My smile got almost wide enough to show the gap in my teeth!

My name was called and I was led into a treatment room where I faced a large picture of three beautiful dark-eyed boys grinning at the camera and holding up toothbrushes and toothpaste. When the dental hygienist came in, I asked her if one of the dentists in the clinic goes on mission trips. She told me all three do!

And I relaxed completely. I knew that I was in safe and, more important, compassionate hands. Because when we’re with believers, chances are high that we will find comfort in common ground. Not that we don’t disagree. Not that we don’t make mistakes and mistreat one another. But bottom line, I’m going to trust a group of believers because I know where they stand.

And for the second time this week, the name of Jesus gave me a sense of peace. The other morning, I was rushing around – picking up the house and getting ready to run errands. And I wasn’t paying close enough attention to where my thoughts were wandering. And I began to pick up little bits of worry, stress, resentment – chaos. I pulled my thoughts in check and was on the way to telling myself that I needed to stop and pray.

Somewhere in that argument with myself, I said the name of God. And simply saying the name, the very name, made me calm.

Psalm 124:8; Proverbs 18:10; Joel 2:32
Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth…The name of the LORD is a strong tower; the righteous run to it and are safe…And everyone who calls on the name of the LORD will be saved….