I am on my best days a failure at prayer. The prayers I managed to say usually are HELP! THANKS! and Jesus what the $#@!! The occurs particularly when someone someone cuts in front of me in the Subway Line or I encounter someone who fallen off their road rage recovery plan. But have you ever prayer for your teeth? I know I have not. I have been known to pray over my shoes, my hair, baseball games, tests, my cat. A long time ago I used to pray for the characters of Dallas, particularly when Bobby and Pam were having problems. Just ask my old college room ate Mae how concerned I was with Bobby and Pam. I pray over my beef tenderloin I fix at Christmas but never my teeth.
This got me to thinking just how important are teeth to God. He numbers the hairs on our head but I don't think he counts our teeth. So I Googled it. There are no less than 25 references to teeth in the Old Testament (I got tried of searching after 25). Every reference refers to tearing out teeth, breaking teething, gnashing of teeth, ripping out teeth, you get the idea. Not one reference that God is big fan of teeth. Now I know I am taking great liberty with the scripture but bear with me.
I collect prayer books, 37 last count. It has to do with my whole failing prayer thing. I flipped through today hoping to find a prayer on teeth but no such luck. There were prayers for pets, pestilence, famine, sword, house, adopting babies, sending kids off to college, trees, fishing, (well that is obvious we Jesus being such of fan of fish sandwiches and all), going to sleep, waking up, taking naps, preparing meals, water, sickness, peace on earth, safety, baptisms, people who are in recovery, people who are divorced, widowed, planting gardens and raking up leaves. You get the idea. But not one regarding teeth. Not one.
To be honest I never thought about my teeth until about 10 am yesterday. I lost a filling in November and it cracked yesterday. I guess I should mentioned I am terrified of the dentist. I don't know if you can have Dental PTSD but I think I may have it. It didn't really hurt that bad at first but I knew it would have to be tended too. At 2 pm I called my son's dentist. We had just been there that morning. I asked for an appointment. I know she rolled her eyes. I know she was thinking not her -hyper woman- not her- the great canceller. My appointment is for 10 am Monday.
By 4 pm it was throbbing like nothing I had ever felt before...not even birth and I am think I would have rather given birth. I had taken about 4000 mg of Tylenol and 800 mg of Naproxen and even made a paste of Aspirin to cover my tooth with. It so was not working. So I google toothaches and found out the most amazing information.
There is something called clove oil that you can put on the tooth for pain relief but don't let it touch your mouth or you have to call Poison Control. I knew that sounded risky but at this point I would do anything. I also found an emergency dental kit at Wallgreens (and they were not pleasant at all and I had to resort to my third prayer).
By six pm my jaw is a little swollen. I am rinsing it every two hours with salt water and hydrogen peroxide and the clove oil is working.
When I woke up this morning I had grown a third head on my jaw. My face was huge. It was so huge it had pushed those little hormone hairs out where I could see them and pluck them. I went to work. They took one look at me and sent me to Employee Health. The nurse felt so sorry for me she ran to grab the doctor. She said, "That is the worse abscess I have ever seen." "First your not going back to work. Second we are putting you on heavy doses of antibiotics and third you have got to have some Vicodin." I was in no position to argue.
prayed about my teeth. I am not sure it is publishable or appropriate for the Book of Common Prayer. I am sending it to the Archbishop.
Creator God maker of heaven and earth and creator of teeth...
Help me to release the fear of dentist
Cover me with your peace (particularly my tooth) that I can tolerate the pain
Bless toothpaste, dental floss, hydrogen peroxide, clove oil, Keflex and Vicodin.
Keep the dentist hands steady Monday and my breathing calm.
Remind me that you care for all mundane situations we face everyday - even teeth.
Thank you for laughing with me, praying with me and just plain shaking your head over this.
All is grace. Amen.
Kathleen
Have a refreshing weekend and may you see God in all the mundane areas of your life my kindest friends. I am humbly grateful for you support. Find great shoes, floss and make room for Life..
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