Ouch.

Jeremiah's teeth have been bothering him. We've been saving since his 1st birthday for braces, so i chalked it up to the shifting teeth coming in and going out of his mouth. I got suspicious when it hurt him to eat. A closer look, the problem was evident....a dark spot on a back molar. Yuck...a cavity. The poor kid was born with bad teeth! Enamel didn't form properly and what little was there, was damaged by lots of antibiotics as a toddler. Therefore, his teeth are very soft and prone to decay regardless of how well he brushes.
I called a new dentist who graciously worked us in. Since we're in a different part of town, I decided to try someone closer to us. New place, new face, a little uncertainty for my big guy. After a small hour and a half wait, we saw the dentist. I could tell from the x-rays that it looked bad. The cavity had gone incognito....decay running rampant under a tooth sealed with white filling. On the outside it looked ok. The inside was being eaten alive. Next to that bad tooth was another problem and like the first, the offense was taking place under the gum line. His 6 yr. molar (a permanent tooth) had positioned itself sideways and was coming in at an angel. As it moved closer to breaking through, it was eroding the roots of the baby molar next to it....2 of 3 roots gone and nerve almost exposed. The Dentist said he should do an emergency extraction of the teeth since they were damaged and would eventually fall out anyway. I took a deep breath. OK. The dentist and nurses began hustling around asking all sorts of questions about anesthesia, drug allergies, when was the last time he ate....Whoa. "So, I will just schedule a time to come back tomorrow?" (after all, it was now six p.m.) "No mam, we're gonna get this bad boy out now before it abscesses." Gulp. Wow. Ok, well, here goes nothing.

"J-man. Do you understand what's going on?" I asked. "Umhmm. My tooth has a cavity and he needs to clean the bad part up. My tooth needs to get fixed now, right Momma? "

"Yeah, buddy. But to fix it, they are gonna take it out so that it won't hurt you anymore. And they are going to take it out in just a minute. Can you be brave for me?"

"Sure. But why can't he just clean it and put a filling in it?" he offered.
"Because it's too sick. It's rotten on the inside and another tooth is pushing on it. The dentist will pull it out for you."
"Ok. But will it hurt?" "
"yes, I'm afraid it will hurt a little. But I will be right here and I will be praying for you to be tough." I said. How I hate to see my kids hurt. Even more, I hate to see them afraid.

Tentatively, we walked to a more specialized room, hooked him up to some gas and began the local anesthesia. When those big honking shots came out, I got a bit weak kneed! Thankfully, the nurse called me out to sign something. Since when did I become such a wuss??!!! I mean, I dream of being a nurse! I love to watch gross medical shows on TLC and Discovery. What in the world is wrong with me? It's just a little blood from teeth being pulled. But it wasn't that it was just a little blood....it was HIS BLOOD...my son's blood. And it was my baby in that chair whimpering in pain. OHHHH, Heather Sachs! You better suck it up and get your rear end back in that room. Now put your big-girl panties on and deal with this!!!!!
I rushed to his side and grabbed his hand from the nurses. He was moaning in pain. "Here. Grab my hand, Jeremiah. Squeeze me as tight as you can when it hurts." (well, maybe not that hard) Do you want me to say a verse for you??? "Yes! NOW!" he muttered. OK. Phil 4:13
"You can do all things through Christ who makes you strong." Prov. 18:10 "The name of the Lord is a strong-tower. The righteous run to it and they are safe." On and on we went until it was over. And I sighed with relief.

"OW. Ow. It still hurts, mama." I know, son. I know. But you were so brave and it's over now! I am so very proud of you. God was right here with us even in the pain, Jeremiah.

"I wish they didn't have to hurt me." I know. But it was the only way. It looked normal on the outside except for a little spot, but inside it was eaten with decay. It had to be taken out completely.

"You know what, momma. It's kinda like sin. It's ugly and it makes you feel bad." You're exactly right, Jeremiah! It is like sin. We can look ok and perform ok, but we are dying on the inside because the sin is eating our hearts away. And it took a lot of hurt. A whole lot of hurt to get rid of it. It took God sending His only Son Jesus, to die in our place for our sin. That hurt God and Jesus an awful lot. He took the pain so we didn't have to pay for our sin.

"I am glad God loves us that much." Me too, buddy. Me too. "Momma. Does this mean the tooth fairy comes tonight?" (oopps! GASP!) Yes, it sure does! (what in the world! I have no cash. I've got to start keeping some for these situations. Gosh, you'd think we'd learn....exhibit A "confessions of a rookie tooth fairy)

With a half grin, and a mouth packed with bloody gauze, we went on our way. The pain hung around for a while. And in the midst of it, he came and hugged me. He. Thanked. Me. My child, there hugging and thanking me for taking him to the dentist.

I wish I could thank my Father in the midst of my pain. Trusting Him with blind abandon that He knows what He's doing even though it hurts bad. Resting, not resisting the Almighty God I call Father and His Son who calls me His friend. Yes. I hope one day, I will learn to be thankful even for the pain.

"For without the shedding of blood, there can be no forgiveness of sins." ~Hebrews 9:22 " God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts to us in our pain...."~ C.S. Lewis