No Cavities!

The other day I went to the dentist with my daughter. Usually, the dentist isn't so bad. I get a quick cleaning and I'm in and out within a half hour. This time, however, I had dual appointments with my daughter.

And talk about the fretting!

She's had a few cavities in the past, and considering that money can be tight at times, I really didn't want to have to shell out for another filling...or two. So, my husband and I said that if a cavity was found then she'd get no sugar until her next checkup in six months. A hard discipline to sick to? You bet! On the flipside, if she didn't have any cavities then I'd do the usual and take her for ice cream afterwards.

Needless to say, there was a lot of brushing, flossing, and mouthwashing going on as the days passed and it got down to the wire.

When we pulled into a parking space outside the dentist's office, she said that she'd been praying a lot and tithing, so God would listen and there wouldn't be any cavities.

She made me laugh. I explained to her that we also have to do our parts.

And isn't that the way it is? We can pray for anything under the sun, but unless we go out there and be obedient and do our parts, He's not going to honor something that doesn't come from our hearts. Either it comes from greed, selfishness, or something else that just sets us on the wrong course. God isn't into making deals.

I explained this to her, like I've explained it to her many times in the past. Does she get it? Sometimes, I think, but how many times has God had to redirect our selfish desires. Many times on my part!

We walked away from the dentist and she had a clean bill of oral health. No cavities! And that's when she said, "Prayer really works!"

Yes, it does.

Then we went and got ice cream.

Family Matters

Last weekend, my husband took a trip back to his mother's house — alone. A few weeks prior, she'd called telling him there were some pressing family matters she wanted to discuss with him. She gave him an idea as to what it was all about. After he got off the phone with her, he sat me down and told me her breaking news. I've decided not to reveal that news at the moment, but let's just say I wasn't overly shocked, neither was he, but we were both saddened.

So, his mother bought him a plane ticket home and he spent three days with his family. Three shocking and unbelievable days.

His mother had only touched the tip of the iceberg with her news on the phone. There was so much more to the story, so much more to the family member involved, that when I heard my husband proclaim the news over the phone, I was literally at a loss for words.

Our first step was to immediately take the situation to the Lord. Next, he made sure to call his SA sponsor and talk things through with him and how my husband should handle the situation for the time being. Let's just say, when the family member heard my husband's feelings on the matter, even though he was very loving and stated he needed time to think things through, that family member blew up in his face, cursing with every other word being the f-bomb.

As a couple, we don't agree with the path this family member has chosen to take, but at the same time we haven't stopped loving this person. This individual has made a choice, one that will affect their life for years to come. Right away, my husband was seen as ignorant and unfeeling because he simply didn't agree with this person's life choices. This makes me both sad and angry.

We are not ignorant to the ways of the world. We just choose, unlike many out there who feel they have to go with everything that comes down the pike. But each of us has choices, whether another disagrees or not. It's just that we have to learn how to show grace to those who need it the most.

As a family, we are still in shock and utter disbelief, most importantly my husband. He woke up the day following his return home and when I asked him how he was feeling, he simply said he was sad. And that in turn makes me sad. We don't like to see those most important to us hurt over someone else's decisions.

My husband's plan is simple: Work the steps and keep in touch with his sponsor. Prayer is the number one thing for our family right now, and really, that's all we can do for this individual. We love this person and we will continue to battle the enemy on their behalf.