Today I began my day with prayer before rising and then mid morning the Prayer of Jabez. For those who are unfamiliar with this prayer, I was asking God for His favor in regards to the expanding of territory for my upcoming business in January. It is so thrilling to be moving in something you love and God has blessed you with but it can also be scary as I have blogged before.
Today I felt especially positive and encouraged with God, His power to help me, and showing me the way. I have mentioned many times to Him in my prayers...."I will fail miserably without You!"
So I am nearing completion of the curriculum I am writing and it has been a very humbling task. It has allowed me to reflect on my entire career in dentistry. I have seen myself in many phases as I write.
I remember the young girl who was struggling to make a way with four children under five years old. Without skills to speak of and no husband to support her. Dentistry was the way to provide for her family. In the beginning it did little more than to pay for day care but it was a re-entry into the work world.
Then there was the young girl who dared to think she could publish a paper in a major dental journal and went another step and challenged a dental certification board to obtain credentials. All of this with no formal education or training. Not to mention writing an on-the-job training program for the Veterans Administration so she could be compensated.
Then there was the girl who thought teaching others was a step worthy of her skills. Wow, what students can teach the teacher and how they tried to mimic the ethics she poured into them. Never a more rewarding experience for someone who refused to be told she simply didn't have the required academic standing.
Moving further into the curriculum I saw the girl who left the comfort of the dental business office to attend hygiene school, struggling to learn because most of the students were years younger and didn't have the family responsibilities she faced.
Then there was the girl who took on the US Army and championed a cause all the way to the JAG core in Washington. Winning a victory for delegation of duties that have touched the lives of many who don't even know her. Then this girl answers the call of her peers to testify as an expert witness for the Texas Legislature. Rising to address an issue she knows very well.
I cried a bit as I watched this girl move from one dental job to another until she was told her clinical days were over due to impairment and needed surgery. So this girl re-invented herself in the profession she loves and has taken on being a consultant, inventor, insurance liaison and technology trainer just to name a few. She has returned to her clinical and education arena now with the next step in her journey. Wow, where is this girl going next?
Lord, I am in awe of this girl. She is me. At times I don't recognize her but I remember her struggles, painful challenges, and most of all the passion that has been alive for over thirty years. I don't want to loose sight of what You have done in her. I don't want to limit Your ever increasing love and open doors ahead of her. I want to walk in all you have for her. Amen
So as I stand looking at this crevice and the immediate need to find a way over I am not shaken. I have stood and faced the giants before and, with God, overcome them all. This is a physical situation for which there is an answer. I just have to seek it out. I watched as the clouds drifted by allowing for the sun to shine brighter in one particular area. I looked and sure enough, just hidden out of sight was a bridge. What was at first glance not seen became very clear.
I walked over to the edge and took hold of the ropes leading me across. It may have been a very shaky suspension bridge but it was a way to the other side. With each step I praised the Lord. I knew there was much more ahead of me on this journey. The sway of the bridge did not concern me because it was as if Christ was rocking the girl who never played like a child oughta play. Too much responsibility as a very young girl stole innocent playful experiences from her. But it did give her grit, determination, motivation.
So I stopped mid crossing and sat dangling my legs over the edge. I closed my eyes and pretended I was on a huge swing set. Behind me the Lord and in front of me His promises. He had kept this girl all of her life and He isn't done yet.
Alone in this moment I sang a song, "Jesus loves me." Simple message and powerful bold proclamation. He does! It doesn't get any richer than to know who loves you. And...Always Will.
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