Prior to my trip to Boston, MA last year (2008) I had to have a root canal and sadly, it is not the first one I’ve ever had during my three and a half decades of living; however, one thing about my procedure was new – I received a numbing shot in the roof of my mouth near the violating tooth. I would describe my pain tolerance at a 4-6 on a scale of 10 (child birth being a 10 and pulling nose hair being a 1), but this shot was one of the most painful things I’ve ever had in my life! The dentist, or whatever they call people who perform root canals, had already given me a couple shots in my gum…no big deal, but when he poked that wicked, sharp needle into the roof of my mouth I had to choke back the tears. He gave no warning, no pep talk, no teddy bear for me to hold. Of course, the female dental assistant walked in following the shot, so I had to try to quickly wipe the tears from my eyes because a man crying in the dentist chair equals wuss. Eventually, the pain subsided and the procedure was completed without further complication.
A few weeks ago, my wife found out that she had to have a root canal due to a Hubba Bubba incident in her mouth. It’s a long story. As her procedure moved closer, she asked me if my root canal hurt. Painful memories flooded my soul and I said, “It wasn’t that bad, except for the shot in the roof of my mouth.” “Are you serious?” she said. I was. It hurt really bad and I didn’t want her to be blind-sided. Instead of continuing the conversation, I left it there and she told me this morning that my warning had been bothering her for the last week. I was quick to say, “It only hurt for a couple minutes and then everything was fine. I made it through.” Although the pain was real, I reminded myself that it was only temporary and I needed to remind my wife of this also. My painful circumstance can eventually be used to bring comfort to others.
I am reminded of Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, “All praise to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the source of every mercy and the God who comforts us. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When others are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.” The process of pain is this – God comforts us in times of hardship so that we can also bring comfort to those who are hurting.
