I got my wisdom teeth out on July 9th. I had been in some pain because of them over the past few months and was so ready for them to come out. However, I was terrified. I was really scared, more afraid than I have ever been about anything. Mom said it was fear of the unknown.
As the time approached for my surgery, I became more anxious. Worried sick, I was. I tried to just forget about it, but I really couldn’t. I was just downright scared silly.
The day before my surgery, we were in Savannah. Michael was preaching at the church he and Heather attend and we went to hear him and then we all went to CiCi’s afterward to get lunch. Thomas and Becca met us there and we all ate and ate. (I won’t tell you how many brownies my siblings ate. I only had 3, and they were little…) It was fun. The food was good, and so was the company. I got to hold my nephew and then watch my brother hold him. We had a really good time.
That night, though, I was back to my worried state. I wished that I didn’t have wisdom teeth. I wished there was room in my mouth for them. I wished my teeth could just be pulled and not cut out. Why did they have to be impacted?
When I got in bed that night, I laid there and tried to sleep. I tried not to think about the next morning. I tried not to the think about the needle in the arm. I tried not to think about my teeth being cut out. It didn’t work.
The night was spent in fitful sleeping. When my alarm went off, I groaned. My surgery was scheduled for 10:00. We had to leave home around 8:30, because Mom needed to get gas. By the time we got close to the oral surgeon’s office, I was feeling pretty nervous. I was suffering from alligators in my stomach. (The butterflies had disappeared about 3:00 am) The alligators quickly change to rhinoceros’.
We walked into the office and I quickly made my way to the bathroom. When all else fails, go to the bathroom, that’s my motto. When I got out, they took my picture for my chart. Then I sat down and opened my Bible. I read Ephesians 5, and then the nurse opened the door and said, “Miss Jennifer. Are you ready?” I sighed. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, standing up. Mom asked if she could come back with me. The nurse said she could, but just until they put the IV in. I told Mom to just not worry about it. She asked if I was sure, and I nodded.
When we got back into the room, the nurse began explaining the procedure to me. She told me all about what to expect afterwards and what/how I should eat. All that stuff…
Then…she went to get the doctor. Those words, “I’ll go get the doctor…” are like the worst words ever. Scary…
As I sat in the room alone, I decided to smile. So I did. I smiled. And then I remember that a guy I knew was going to be getting his wisdom teeth out soon. So I started praying for him. I prayed that his surgery would go really well and that he wouldn’t be nervous. I prayed for him steady until the doctor came in the room.
Apparently, when I’m kind of nervous, I’m not myself. I figured that out real quick. The doctor asked me how my weekend was. I said, “Well, on Friday night, I realized what you are planning to do to me today, and my weekend was terrible from then on out.” He kind of laughed and said that I was worried about nothing. I muttered, “easy for you to say.”
Then he got that needle ready to stick in my arm. I clenched my teeth and didn’t cry. I said, “That hurts.” He said, “Yes, I know. I’m sorry about that.” I said, “Well it still hurts.” I don’t know what I expected him to do about it!
The weirdest thing happened next. The nurse said something to the doctor, he replied, she said something back and he said, “Hold on, I’ll look at it.” He stood up, patted my shoulder, walked behind the chair and that’s all I remember…
…until Mom woke me up in the Wal-Mart parking lot. (As a side note, waking up in the Wal-Mart parking lot was the worst of the whole experience. Yes, even worse than the needle poking into my arm...)
It’s funny. When that doctor walked in the room, I really wasn’t scared. I was nervous about the needle going in my arm, but my fear had subsided. Because…I had stopped worrying about myself. I had decided to pray for a person that I knew, who was going to be going through the same thing as me.
When I prayed for that person, it got my attention off of myself and onto him. It took away my fear.
I really think that if we thought less of ourselves and more of others, we would have a lot less fear in our lives. We wouldn’t worry so much. Because really, the only reason we worry is because we’re thinking about our circumstances.
So the next time you’re tempted to be worried or afraid, just think about someone else and pray for them. It’ll work, trust me.
(Oh and just in case you're wondering, that guy friend of mine got his teeth out and survived. He doesn't remember any more of it than I do! We both agreed that we're glad that is one thing you only have to go through once in a lifetime!!)
As the time approached for my surgery, I became more anxious. Worried sick, I was. I tried to just forget about it, but I really couldn’t. I was just downright scared silly.
The day before my surgery, we were in Savannah. Michael was preaching at the church he and Heather attend and we went to hear him and then we all went to CiCi’s afterward to get lunch. Thomas and Becca met us there and we all ate and ate. (I won’t tell you how many brownies my siblings ate. I only had 3, and they were little…) It was fun. The food was good, and so was the company. I got to hold my nephew and then watch my brother hold him. We had a really good time.
That night, though, I was back to my worried state. I wished that I didn’t have wisdom teeth. I wished there was room in my mouth for them. I wished my teeth could just be pulled and not cut out. Why did they have to be impacted?
When I got in bed that night, I laid there and tried to sleep. I tried not to think about the next morning. I tried not to the think about the needle in the arm. I tried not to think about my teeth being cut out. It didn’t work.
The night was spent in fitful sleeping. When my alarm went off, I groaned. My surgery was scheduled for 10:00. We had to leave home around 8:30, because Mom needed to get gas. By the time we got close to the oral surgeon’s office, I was feeling pretty nervous. I was suffering from alligators in my stomach. (The butterflies had disappeared about 3:00 am) The alligators quickly change to rhinoceros’.
We walked into the office and I quickly made my way to the bathroom. When all else fails, go to the bathroom, that’s my motto. When I got out, they took my picture for my chart. Then I sat down and opened my Bible. I read Ephesians 5, and then the nurse opened the door and said, “Miss Jennifer. Are you ready?” I sighed. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” I said, standing up. Mom asked if she could come back with me. The nurse said she could, but just until they put the IV in. I told Mom to just not worry about it. She asked if I was sure, and I nodded.
When we got back into the room, the nurse began explaining the procedure to me. She told me all about what to expect afterwards and what/how I should eat. All that stuff…
Then…she went to get the doctor. Those words, “I’ll go get the doctor…” are like the worst words ever. Scary…
As I sat in the room alone, I decided to smile. So I did. I smiled. And then I remember that a guy I knew was going to be getting his wisdom teeth out soon. So I started praying for him. I prayed that his surgery would go really well and that he wouldn’t be nervous. I prayed for him steady until the doctor came in the room.
Apparently, when I’m kind of nervous, I’m not myself. I figured that out real quick. The doctor asked me how my weekend was. I said, “Well, on Friday night, I realized what you are planning to do to me today, and my weekend was terrible from then on out.” He kind of laughed and said that I was worried about nothing. I muttered, “easy for you to say.”
Then he got that needle ready to stick in my arm. I clenched my teeth and didn’t cry. I said, “That hurts.” He said, “Yes, I know. I’m sorry about that.” I said, “Well it still hurts.” I don’t know what I expected him to do about it!
The weirdest thing happened next. The nurse said something to the doctor, he replied, she said something back and he said, “Hold on, I’ll look at it.” He stood up, patted my shoulder, walked behind the chair and that’s all I remember…
…until Mom woke me up in the Wal-Mart parking lot. (As a side note, waking up in the Wal-Mart parking lot was the worst of the whole experience. Yes, even worse than the needle poking into my arm...)
It’s funny. When that doctor walked in the room, I really wasn’t scared. I was nervous about the needle going in my arm, but my fear had subsided. Because…I had stopped worrying about myself. I had decided to pray for a person that I knew, who was going to be going through the same thing as me.
When I prayed for that person, it got my attention off of myself and onto him. It took away my fear.
I really think that if we thought less of ourselves and more of others, we would have a lot less fear in our lives. We wouldn’t worry so much. Because really, the only reason we worry is because we’re thinking about our circumstances.
So the next time you’re tempted to be worried or afraid, just think about someone else and pray for them. It’ll work, trust me.
(Oh and just in case you're wondering, that guy friend of mine got his teeth out and survived. He doesn't remember any more of it than I do! We both agreed that we're glad that is one thing you only have to go through once in a lifetime!!)
I love that you prayed for someone else when you were scared!! What a great way to cast aside your worry and do something for the Lord!
ReplyDelete:) Thanks for commenting, Meg! :) It's funny how even something like getting your wisdom teeth out can be an opportunity to think of someone besides yourself!
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