Lessons from at Dentist's Chair

Yesterday I reluctantly drove myself to see the dentist. I was going not because of a toothache or any problems that I was aware of ... I was simply going because my 6 month checkup was ... uhm ... let's say several months over due! So I went through the routine of xrays and cleaning. Then the dentist came in and the conversation went something like this (my real thoughts are included in parenthesis):

Dentist - "Hello, John I see it's been quite some time since you have been here. What brought you In?"

Me - "Well, for one I knew I was long overdue for a checkup (Yep Doc, I hate people fooling with my teeth!) .... and I am heading to Africa at the end of August and so I thought I should get my teeth checked (Sure don't want to see the inside of a dentist's office in Africa!).

Dentist - "There's good news and bad news. The good news is you have only one cavity. The bad news is that it is a lulu. The actual decay in the molar is very close to the pulp. Once we remove the current filling (Remove filling? That sounds like pain to me!), we will be able to see if a root canal is needed (Ouch! More pain, more time, more money!) But I am guessing that there is an 80% probability that you will need a root canal" (God, make the 20% a reality ... PLEASE!).

Me - "OK, Dr. You have to do what you have to do!" (Why me? Why couldn't this visit have been easy in and easy out ... see you back here in 6 months!)

Dentist - "Looking at the xrays from your last visit, the decay wasn't here. If you had come in earlier, we might have been able to fix this before it became a problem (Yeah, I should have been back here sooner, I know! Just pour on the guilt!). We will set you up for an appointment soon and get this started so you can be all done before you go to Africa.

So on July 20th at 10 AM I go back. Yea!

Now did I learn anything from this visit? Yep! For starters I learned that procrastination can lead to serious problems. If I had not procrastinated seeing my dentist for so long, I probably would not be looking down the barrel of a possible root canal. In addition, I learned that Galatians 6:7 is a reality. This verse reads, "Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows." The bad news I got was due to my actions (or in this case inaction) and I was simply reaping what I had sown. SOOO .... all this to say - beware of procrastination AND always remember that the choices you make today will lead to consequence tomorrow!

Thanks for stopping by . . .

pj