Unexpected

It is funny how the unexpected always catches you by surprise.  It sounds like an oxymoron statement, I know.  Perhaps it is.  But when I look at my life, I realize, no matter how much I know in my head that I should not be surprised by unexpected events since they are just to be expected; my heart always skips a beat every time I'm hit with a surprise.  

Take yesterday morning, for example.  (Here, I must give you a warning since some of the discussion to follow my be disturbing to some, particularly those who have dentist-related-phobias.  Proceed at your own risk : ) I went to the dentist to have a filling replaced.  

I have been experiencing pain on that particular tooth for a while, so after several, previous dentist visits,  X-Rays and exams, my dentist said that maybe we should try just replacing the filling because the type I had on that tooth seems to cause problems sometimes.  So there I was, reclining on a comfortable position, totally relaxed at one of the most enjoyable places on earth...no wait, what am I talking about? Yes, the dentist chair...one of the most terrifying places on earth!  At least I do have to say that my dentist is the most gentle soul I've ever met.  He even hides the syringe behind his back so I don't faint at its sight.  He cares so much about my comfort that it is hard to despise the guy.   But, I digress again...there I was.  

My gentle dentist began to drill into my tooth as I tried to go to my happy place in my mind.  He drilled, and drilled, and drilled...I began to worry because he kept drilling so deep I thought he'd puncture my brain!  He would take breaks, have me rinse and go back at it again.  Suddenly I saw a newly discovered ferocity in my otherwise gentle dentist's eyes that made me grow alarmed.  Finally, he finished.  He took and X-Ray of my perforated tooth, a new procedure I'd never had before when just going in for a filling.  I held my breath and waited for him to come back.  

He returned and then proceeded to insert these funny looking wire-thingies in my hollowed tooth...what the heck? I thought, but since I was at a communicative impaired state at that moment, I had to hold all questions until the end.  He did performed some more unidentified procedures in my tooth and took yet another X-Ray.  He left again and there I waited.  

I usually don't  inspect my mouth while at the dentist because the thought of it alone freaks me out, but this time curiosity overpowered my fear.  I slowly and carefully moved my semi-numbed tongue toward the tooth in question and made a shocking discovery.  I had two wires sticking out of my now newly re-filled tooth!!!  I know I should have just left it alone.  I was freaking out!  The dentist's assistant came in the room and began talking to me about an experience she'd had similar to mine, blah, blah, blah...I couldn't concentrate on her words.  I had two wires sticking out of my tooth!  She said something about root canal...so I began to try to re-construct her talk in my severely disturbed brain:  she said her situation was similar+root canal= what?  I managed to say, "so, am I going to need a root canal?"  to which she cheerfully replied:  "you already got one, darling!"

Surprise!

Well, the rest is all a blur.  All that is left for me to do now is to wait for the bill in the mail.

At any rate, my point is...what was I talking about?  O yes!  I was saying that life is a string of constant unexpected events that sometimes throw us off our path and cause us to tremble, so we better get use to them, though it is a mighty hard task to accomplish.  

The important thing to remember, when life surprises us with the unexpected, is that He is in control.  It is not a surprise to Him.  He knows that it is going to happen.  He doesn't see it as unexpected.  And we can take refuge in Him who calms all storms, big and small.

He is the rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just. A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he.

Deuteronomy 32:4

My gentle dentist didn't warn me of what was coming since he wasn't expecting to have to do a root canal on that tooth either.  He fixed the problem, though.  I have no pain.  I'm not even sore after all the relentless manipulation I went through.  In retrospect, a root canal is not the big bad boy it has been made out to be.  I don't want to have another one done any time soon, but even though it was hard to swallow (pun intended ; ) I survived it.  And now that I think about it, I might even say that it being unexpected took the edge of it a bit.  If I had known I was getting one that day, I would have been fretting for weeks ahead. This way, it was done without me even knowing it was happening.  I guess unexpected surprises have their advantage too.