A lesson in gratefulness

Last week I was fighting an abscessed tooth. It was painful and while I tried putting off the dental visit, the pain finally won out. So I called, got a quick appointment, and headed in to visit my dentist. They took the x-ray and then proceeded to bang on my teeth to find out which one makes me jump off the chair. There has got to be a better way of figuring out which tooth is the culprit. Anyway, we decided it was my upper right second molar. We also decided it would need a root canal. And so one hour later with a drilled tooth, temporary filling, an appointment for next week, and a very large bill, I left the dentist office.

I was very frustrated over the bill. This tends to be the time of year for our family to buckle down on spending and watch the budget much closer. So getting an unexpected bill for a root canal without dental insurance was not part of our plan this summer. Hmm, I guess that’s what “unexpected” points out. I stood at the office counter and inwardly whined to myself about the bill and the money flowing out and why now. I stood there bemoaning that just when we got a break and a little extra had come in we have to spend it on this.

Yup, I little extra had come in. Interesting, huh? I didn’t catch it then though.

Off I went on the other errands with my son in the passenger seat. Still lamenting my bad fortune and how I had this extra bill, my son began complaining of the gnawing, excruciating pain growing and growling in his stomach. After all, he is 13 and had not eaten in two hours; I know you are thinking I am a wickedly horrid mother to not feed this poor growing boy more regularly. I have no excuses, but to save his dwindling existence I headed to Mc D’s for a quick bite off the dollar menu (much to my son’s disappointment, after all 2 big macs, 2 large fries, an apple pie, and a milk shake would be a nice appetizer).

As I turned the corner into the shopping center there stood a homeless person with a sign. This person caught my attention a little more than the others normally do. The reason is first she was a woman, in a dress with a bag sitting next to her; her tangled curls, gray and long hung down on her shoulders despite what looked like an attempt at some point to pin it up. She looked close to 60, but being on the street and in the rags she had on, I judged her to be probably closer to my own age, although I have no way of knowing for certain. Her sign read something like “I’m hungry, will work for food.”

At first I felt compassion for her, but as I drove past I felt extremely convicted. As I pulled up to the drive thru lane I felt tears in my eyes. Last week my husband brought home early the check we usually get in late June or early July. In addition to that check coming early, he had an extra check. The extra check just happened to be in the amount of money the dentist had charged me this morning. Instead of seeing that and praising God for His gracious and abundant provision in my life, I whined about having to spend the money on that instead of some other things I had in mind.

One of the fastest ways one of my kids can anger me is to show selfishness or be unappreciative. Here I sat with my own attitude issue and the reality of God’s mercy and goodness hitting me right in the face in the form of a homeless woman just hoping for daily bread.

We drove through and picked up our stuff and hers. We gave it to her and left. Later I wish I had took the time to ask her if she needed anything else and to tell her thank you for being there that day. Her presence in that place was a powerful reminder that my Heavenly Father truly takes care of me and set a deep conviction of repentance and gratitude in my heart.

So last week I gave thanks. I thanked my sweet Savior for His tender mercy toward me, His good provision that covers my every need long before I need, and for placing that 50 something, gray curly haired lady at that entrance of the shopping center for my good and His purpose. May His Name be blessed and lifted up.