by Jennifer Wade, DDS

This new Covid world has taught us things. We’ve learned more about ourselves, our families, our country, and the world as a whole and how connected it really is.  Have you had a chance to be still and reflect on what you have learned during this tumultuous time?  I’ve had a little time, but I’d like to take more and really sit and thank God for what He’s done in the midst of the brokenness.  Once you do get a chance to reflect, write those thoughts down and share them with someone and then ask them to tell you about what they have learned. The more you share and hear, the bigger and more beautiful the picture will be of what God is doing.  I’ll share with y’all a little of what I’ve learned.

• Importance of still quiet times to listen to the Lord. God has used pulling me out of my normal setting and schedule to remind me He’s with me always and encouraged me to talk with Him anywhere, anytime, about anything. As I’ve transitioned back to clinic this has helped me pray more with patients and really feel the presence of the Lord as I do dentistry.
• Realizing that I don’t have to understand or know everything to love people well because the Holy Spirit is with me and knows and understands everything. As we see our society in the throes of brokenness, God has revealed places in my own heart where I haven’t listened to His command to love my neighbor as myself.  He’s reminded me that when I don’t know what to say or do towards my fellow man I can ask Him and He will guide me how to love my neighbor whether it be my patient, a stranger at the grocery store, or a family member.
• Realizing how much physical and figurative clutter there is in my life.  Being stuck at home has had so many of us doing cleaning and reorganizing and while I haven’t done as much as most, I’ve done enough to realize we have too much stuff.  It’s so easy to let things and little tasks pile up forgotten. I had allowed that to happen in my heart as well. Questions or areas of growth I knew I needed to address but left on the back burner have been dusted off and inspected again. This has taught me things about myself I wasn’t expecting to realize at this point in life.

These are just the things I’ve personally learned, but I know there is immeasurably more that God is doing all around me and in your lives. Take some time and see what God has taught you and share it with others. It could also be a great way to break the ice with your patients and help them see the hope there is in life with God.