What do I do now?

Brian

I am in the chair of the periodontist (big word – not known by Microsoft spell checker, apparently) and assured I will feel nothing. I hope not, because it looks like an operating theatre with two nurses assisting, bright lights and all sorts of other things that you see on medical programmes on TV.

So I opted for the easy way out and closed my eyes. I may as well say the Lord’s prayer, but I wasn’t really praying, only trying to pass the time which I did fairly successfully.  Until -- after much cutting and scraping, they hit something not put to sleep by the local anaesthetic.

Well I won’t bore you with the details. He was a very good and pleasant specialist and after trying hard, he eventually had to take out the tooth.  Sadly the tooth fairy does not come if it is a broken old tooth. 

This morning I wondered what happens in places where there is no medical help, or what happened centuries ago when there were no pain killers and you just had to endure the agony of an abscess for weeks on end. So I am really grateful for the skill of the medical profession. I am also full of praise for answered prayers when God heals people directly.

The abscess was a bit of a double whammy as I had to withdraw from the Whale Trail as well as experiencing some of the worst pain I have ever had.  But as I reflect on this I am genuinely thankful for “all the blessings of this life” (Anglican Prayer Book)

I woke up this morning and had another thought about this tiny cyst in my gums which caused me to have a pretty unpleasant week. God says to us in his word through the apostle Paul about his church “Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it … if one part suffers every part suffers with it”(1 Corinthians 12 ). 

(Did you share Brian's pain?)

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