I am preparing myself to go to the dentist. Now I know that this isn’t such a big deal – but if that’s true – why do so many of us get so nervous about it?
So as I was thinking this whole thing through these past couple of days I thought that it sure seems like it was so similar to confession.
And if you can quiet picture it, here’s why I think that.
You know you have to go and there is a reminder either in the bulletin for confession or on your answering machine that you have this ‘thing’ coming up. Yea, you can’t seem to escape it!
So the next thing is to do prep work. For confession you’re thinking of all the things that you should be saying and how to answer the questions if any surprises come up. Are you seeing the familiarity? To go to the dentist you do some prep work by flossing a couple of days before your appointment and really brushing your teeth good before you head to bed for the night. Now it’s not like I don’t floss often – OK, I don’t, but I do an extra good job when it’s time for a checkup.
Now it’s time. You’re sitting in the waiting room just hoping that they will run out of time and that you should just go home and come back another time. But this wishful thinking NEVER happens to me and then you see them come around the corner. They do a little smile and say your name. It’s time.
So you act all cool and everything and make some small talk but for me I’d rather be doing about a million other things that heading back to the room right now.
Once you get settled in you get asked the question. You get asked if you’ve been flossing. My heart skips a beat but then I remember my training that I’ve been doing all week. I confidently say that I have been flossing! And then when you’re asked how often? OK, so this question isn’t how often in the past year, or past month right? So they must be asking how often in the past week I would be guessing. I sit a little taller and say I’ve been doing it almost every night. Now this isn’t really a lie, but it might not just be replying back to the question just exactly how they were asking it. Tonight in the dentist office the hygienist looks at me and smiles and says “You can really tell. Your teeth are looking pretty healthy” Can you say SCORE!!
Now I’m wondering if there’s confession in our church coming up? I think I’m on a roll 🙂