The other day I had the pleasure of going to the dentist. I hadn’t been in some time so as you can imagine I was really eager to get in there and “get er done”. I was a little baffled; however when I was escorted to one of the “examination” rooms and the hygienist asked me what I was in for. She asked me the question like I was her cellmate and we were doing hard time together. I responded, “Just a routine cleaning.” She looked shocked and told me that another hygienist would be working with me today and that I might be moved to a different room.
About 5 minutes later another hygienist came in and asked me the same thing …”What are you in for?” In my mind I was like, “What the heck!!! Don’t people just come in for regular cleanings anymore? Am I to expect an interrogation at every future visit to the Dentist?” I responded to her...”I’m just in for a routine cleaning.” She too looked surprised. At this point I’m starting to feel like I’m on candid camera, because she immediately slapped the lead vest on me and proceeded to take x-rays saying “We didn’t get a chance to take these the last time you were in?” Needless to say I was a little shocked; I hadn’t been there in over a year.
After they took the x-rays, I sat in the cold bright room for about 3 minutes until the Dentist and the 2nd hygienist came back into the room with my medical files. With a puzzled look on his face, the Dentist said, “Good Morning Mr. Jeffers…what brings you in today?” Here we go again… I said “Just a routine cleaning.” He asked me if I was aware that this routine cleaning would probably not be covered by my insurance company. I thought “Slow down cowpoke”, but I just responded, “Why not?” He told me that I had just had a cleaning on 7/11/08 and that a month had not even passed so the insurance company would not cover the cleaning. I knew that was a mistake because I had not been to the dentist in some time. As he was reading through “my file” I was able to peep some of the information therein. Low and behold…He had my father’s file (whose name is Zachary C. Jeffers, but the file just had the name Zachary Jeffers on it) and he thought that I was my father. I explained to the confused Dentist that my dad and I share the same 1st name, but we have different middle names. He understood after a minute or so and said, “Man I’m glad we got that cleared up….I was going to ask you what was your secret to looking so young…You look pretty good for 58?”
This experience made me think...How often do I get mistaken for my Heavenly Father? Do my actions reflect His character? When people look at me and the things that I do are they drawn to Christ because of the way I imitate the Father?
1 Peter 2:12 says:
11-12Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.
Who do you look like? Is God honored to call you His child or are you a disgrace to the family name? I love my fathers (earthly and heavenly) and I consider it a challenge and joy to live up to the “Family Name”. There is nothing like the joy that I get from pleasing and honoring my father and having someone witness my actions and send word back to my dad. How much more joy comes from knowing that because of the way I live, others are drawn out of darkness and into the light that is found in Christ.
I’m glad that I look and act like my “Daddy”.
Be Blessed,
B
About 5 minutes later another hygienist came in and asked me the same thing …”What are you in for?” In my mind I was like, “What the heck!!! Don’t people just come in for regular cleanings anymore? Am I to expect an interrogation at every future visit to the Dentist?” I responded to her...”I’m just in for a routine cleaning.” She too looked surprised. At this point I’m starting to feel like I’m on candid camera, because she immediately slapped the lead vest on me and proceeded to take x-rays saying “We didn’t get a chance to take these the last time you were in?” Needless to say I was a little shocked; I hadn’t been there in over a year.
After they took the x-rays, I sat in the cold bright room for about 3 minutes until the Dentist and the 2nd hygienist came back into the room with my medical files. With a puzzled look on his face, the Dentist said, “Good Morning Mr. Jeffers…what brings you in today?” Here we go again… I said “Just a routine cleaning.” He asked me if I was aware that this routine cleaning would probably not be covered by my insurance company. I thought “Slow down cowpoke”, but I just responded, “Why not?” He told me that I had just had a cleaning on 7/11/08 and that a month had not even passed so the insurance company would not cover the cleaning. I knew that was a mistake because I had not been to the dentist in some time. As he was reading through “my file” I was able to peep some of the information therein. Low and behold…He had my father’s file (whose name is Zachary C. Jeffers, but the file just had the name Zachary Jeffers on it) and he thought that I was my father. I explained to the confused Dentist that my dad and I share the same 1st name, but we have different middle names. He understood after a minute or so and said, “Man I’m glad we got that cleared up….I was going to ask you what was your secret to looking so young…You look pretty good for 58?”
This experience made me think...How often do I get mistaken for my Heavenly Father? Do my actions reflect His character? When people look at me and the things that I do are they drawn to Christ because of the way I imitate the Father?
1 Peter 2:12 says:
11-12Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives.
Who do you look like? Is God honored to call you His child or are you a disgrace to the family name? I love my fathers (earthly and heavenly) and I consider it a challenge and joy to live up to the “Family Name”. There is nothing like the joy that I get from pleasing and honoring my father and having someone witness my actions and send word back to my dad. How much more joy comes from knowing that because of the way I live, others are drawn out of darkness and into the light that is found in Christ.
I’m glad that I look and act like my “Daddy”.
Be Blessed,
B
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