21 Sep
Broken Tooth!
Just 2 days ago, while snacking on a peanut butter / jelly sandwich, I heard a big CRUNCH sound. My initial thought was "I must have bitten into some bug that sneaked into my sandwich!"
My tendency to think such a thing probably has its origin in the days I spent in semi-poverty when I was living in a $200/month apartment in the ghetto part of downtown Portland, OR. I almost tasted what a cockroach tastes like (OK, a bit of exaggeration; I almost cooked it along with my macaroni and cheese dinner). It was actually a part of the organism, not the whole thing.
To this day, I have no idea what had happened to that critter. I still proceeded to enjoy that dinner though; as I had very little choice.
Going back to the main topic, my initial analysis turned out to be wrong. It was my tooth! Of all th teeth, it was my canine (Maxillary canine) tooth, which is my favorite tooth! It was sharp, big, and strong (I guess not strong enough, after all); I was really proud of it (despite the fact that I let it have a cavity once
).
The once great maxillary canine was now practically detached from my body. However the gum was barely hanging onto the tooth. So I slept the night that day with a totally loose tooth praying I won't accidentally swallow it. I didn't want to yank the tooth out for I was grasping onto the hope that my dentist could save it somehow.
Next day the dentist took the tooth completely out of my mouth to examine it in order to decide whether I would need an implant tooth or he could reattach the tooth. Praise to God and thanks to the people who prayed for me, my dentist determined that it was re-attachable!
So this morning, the great dentist gave my tooth a second chance through his creativity and skillfulness. Praise God for this man! One huge downside though, was that he had to carve out a lot of the gum surrounding the tooth. As a result, the tooth is almost completely exposed. I was quite saddened by the loss of this gum tissue
That feeling was similar to the one I had when I found out that my sight was bad enough that I was to wear corrective lenses for the rest of my life. I likewise felt sorry for myself when I found out that they had to take out my medial meniscus (the soft tissue that is floating in the watery space in your knee) and I was told that I would have hard time walking when I get old.
It is that irreversibility that brings great sorrow. To repeat the cliche for the sake of discussion, health is not something you think about until you lose it. If all that I pay attention to, think about, and put my hope in was my health and body, I logically should be immersed in misery and hopelessness. I have hope that the Lord may heal me somehow some day, but that is not what has been stirring in my spirit. My spirit rejoices in the day of Resurrection!
Tears well up in my eyes as I ponder some of my favorite passages.
There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. (1Cointhians 15:41-43, NKJV)
For I delivered to you first of all that which I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He rose again the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He was seen by Cephas, then by the twelve. After that He was seen by over five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain to the present, but some have fallen asleep. (1Co 15:3-6)
I have dishonored my body, but it will be raised in glory. Halleluja! Oh Lord Jesus, come! Elsewhere the apostle Paul said:
eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality (Romans 2:7, NKJV)
Does your soul long for glory, honor, and immortality? Or are you content with being in the same course as this world, which is constantly dying and decaying? Paul is teaching here in this passage that if you desire eternal life rather than the corrupt earthly life that is subject to death, God will give it to you. But if you don't want it, you won't have it. Why? Because the glory, honor, and immortality that we speak of are only through God's grace, Jesus Christ. You cannot either earn the glory, honor, and immortality nor can you qualify for those things.
I gladly subject myself to the Lord that will freely give me His glory, honor, and immortality. Do you want this inheritance that God wants to share with you? I ask this especially of "believers." Do you want these things? I badly want you to get the heavenly wisdom as you read this post right now. The divine wisdom says "Do not neglect so great a salvation in Christ! Lest you sell your birthright in the kingdom for a morsel of food like the cares of the world!" If your soul does not genuinely long for the divine glory, honor, and immortality, it is time to stop and let this wisdom take over your mind and heart. Hear the voice of the Holy Spirit as He speaks "I want you to have these gifts; glory, honor and immortality, so that I will forever live with you. I want this so bad that I in Jesus suffered severely for you."
To the unbelievers, stop and see how gracious the Lord is to you in offering these things freely. Once the desires of God replace your own desires, you will never be the same. Do you believe this? Do you see that this Jesus who will not withhold nothing from you, even His own life, is worthy of your trust? God is good, isn't He?
Printer Friendly