Stressin'

Stress comes in many shapes and forms; at least to my dentist. I’ve been having sore gums for the past two weeks, so I made an appointment thinking I had something stuck near my crown. Turns out my tooth is stressed.

I must be grinding my teeth at night because I can’t think of any out of the ordinary stresses in my life at the moment. Of course, our normal day to day duties can be stressful: driving in traffic, trying to drop off and pick up the kids on time, deciding what meals to make on a daily basis, and washing the never-ending piles of laundry.

My dentist’s advice? Baby the tooth. Rinse with salt water. Watch my clenching. She also ground a few edges of the problem tooth to smooth my bite. If I follow her suggestions, I should see some progress (and some much needed relief) soon.

We can also follow simple guidelines from God’s Word to help reduce the stress in our everyday lives. We can cast all our cares on Him because He cares for us (1 Peter 5:7). We should be anxious for nothing (Philippians 4:6). And we can trust the Lord with all our hearts and allow Him to direct our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6).

Even if I follow my dentist’s advice, my gums will need time to heal. It will also take time to learn to relax in God’s Word; but the resulting peace will be welcome.

Are you stressin’? Let God help you find relief.