Molars

"Molars"

An excerpt from my new show,  Grace for the Moment.

©Jessica Ann Best

WOMAN: 
No one ever said that growing didn’t hurt. Sometimes it can feel like those molars that are so painful coming in, but they help you the most to chew your food.  You loose your baby teeth-which were so painful as they came in. But after they're gone-you get bigger, stronger teeth that have to break through the gums. Often when you loose a tooth, you get a reward: reward for growing through the pain and growing up! When you loose your baby molars, you get another set of molars and your twelve year molars, which help you to grow...and you chew more food.  Another test of your endurance, a little more pain: yielding healthy growth.  You become stronger. And then of course, your wisdom teeth come in. Everybody has wisdom teeth; but sometimes you can’t see them. So you have to search for them- like treasure. Sometimes, you have to take them out- and that’s painful. Sometimes, life becomes like those wisdom teeth being yanked out of your mouth. Why did we need we ever need those in the first place? Why did we have to go through that pain?

Sometimes, we ask God for things and the way our prayers get answered may not be exactly what we’ve asked for, but He gives us exactly what we need. I’ve asked God to change the world; for a global platform to help others! I didn’t know or realize that what I needed in order to answer what I’ve asked for was molar-like growth. I didn’t realize that what I’ve asked for requires pain, (like your wisdom teeth taken out) so I could gain heavenly wisdom and credibility to have a platform.  In order to be the strongest I can be, I have to hear His voice.

When you’re a baby, you get a teething ring to help cool and calm the pain of your new teeth.  As you become refined in the fire, there is no ring to calm the pain, but there is a promise that God walks with you in the fire!  I don’t think that Daniel was eager to go into the lion’s den, but he certainly had a new perspective of God when he came out. Joseph, rejected by his own brothers, was sold as a slave and later imprisoned. After enduring several years in prison, seemingly forgotten, he was called upon to interpret a dream that would bring great aide to a nation.  He became the Vizier, the highest official in Ancient Egypt to serve Pharaoh.  Moses lost his baby teeth after he left his position of Prince of Egypt. His “molars” took 40 years to grow in-while living in the desert with a shepherd staff. He climbed a mountain and waited for God to speak. Sometimes we have to wait until the space is filled by our new teeth. The strength of the Most High God was infused in Moses-and he had more opposition ahead of him! His new molars now had to be used to ask to free His people: the entire Hebrew nation!  You might say, it seems like “He bit off more than he could chew,” but that’s because it wasn’t ever for him to chew in his own strength anyway.


You see, God gives us these new teeth to keep running the race He has set before us. We need those new teeth (and the growing pains that come with them) to trust Him through the pain. Just on the outside are new and better teeth to fill in the gaps! Sometimes, we need to get braces to straighten out our teeth. Similarly, Sometime we need to realign ourselves with God. Anyone who has ever worn  braces knows that the wire on your teeth is firm and that the alignment process requires motion, time and aching pain. The wire knows what direction to take the teeth-surely and firmly bringing them together to make a perfect smile.

Growth doesn’t always feel good. Asking isn’t always as simple as it seems; but when you allow God to align your life, He’ll fill in the gaps.  He’ll give you stronger teeth and He’ll never leave you alone. You are being made new and have been given the strength of the Most High God to walk beside you all of your life.

 Now, that’s something to chew on.