Five-year-old Ryleigh and her older sister, Maddie, came to the office last week to have their teeth cleaned. When it was their turn, we called their names, and they skipped back in festive Halloween attire. Ryleigh was decked out in a purple and black dress with bats on the skirt. Her ankle boots set off the outfit perfectly. Maddie wore other fun Halloween colors: yellow, orange, and green.
Because she was the oldest, Maddie went first. We let Ryleigh play for a few minutes to get acclimated. Suddenly, she belted out from the large whale tail she sat upon: “Hey, I didn’t come here for all that.” and pointed to where her sister was getting her teeth cleaned. How could I not giggle?
A short time later, it was Ryleigh’s turn. “Come on over and we’ll brush your teeth,” I encouraged her. She bounced from the whale and took a seat. I got the TV on the right channel and then asked if she brushed her teeth at home. When I leaned her back in the chair, she announced, “Hey, I didn’t come here for all this.”
“Actually, yes, you did,” I began in a soft voice, “Your mom and dad want us to make sure all of your teeth are in good shape.” Ryleigh thought about it for a second, and we continued, slowly. She and Maddie had good visits and were returned to their parents shortly after.
I’m still tickled over her words. She didn’t want any business; she just wanted to play.
Unfortunately, that same thinking can seep into our attitude when we go to church or read God’s Word. We just want the “feel good” parts, not the application. We can like the singing, but not the sermon. The Psalms, but not Revelation. The stories, but not the surrender. Baby Jesus, but not Jesus on the cross. When convicted, we can go into Ryleigh mode thinking, “I didn’t come here for all that.” And yet, when we give Him a chance, we will find that it really was just what we needed.
It happened to me last week at a women’s conference in Lawrenceburg. I had signed up to do breakout sessions on drawing strength from God’s Word. I had not signed up to be convicted about loving my neighbor in the opening session shared by Liz Encina. I could hear 5-year-old Ryleigh in my head, “Hey, I didn’t come here for all this.” In truth, as a follower of Christ, it’s exactly what I agreed to: the conviction of the Holy Spirit.
In Psalm 139:23-24, David invited the Lord to do a thorough examination on him: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is an offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Regular checkups at the dentist help keep your teeth healthy and in good shape. If a problem or cavity arises, there is help and restoration. A consistent habit of going to the house of the Lord and staying in His Word keeps us in good shape spiritually. When problems come, our Great Physician is always on call and ready to help and restore.
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Dawn Reed is a pastor's wife and newspaper columnist. Reach her at preacherswife7@yahoo.com.
