by Jennifer Wade, DDS

I recently returned to work from my maternity leave and was reflecting on what I learned from the time off. The thing that stood out to me most was how incredible it was to have community in my life with family and with the church body. They helped my husband and me in so many ways with our children as we transitioned into life with a newborn and a toddler. Seeing how God used these people to help us in this time of life also showed me how I had taken for granted the encouragement He’s given me in my working life through community as well. Working at a Christian community clinic has been an incredible blessing, because I work alongside believers who can point me back to Christ if I’m feeling discouraged and urge me to have a more Christ-like perspective if I’m getting frustrated with a patient.

I realize not everyone has such a unique work environment. If you don’t have coworkers who are believers, God can use anyone to speak truth into your life, even your working life. I’ve had fellow church members give me great insight into some of my struggles with work even without knowing anything about a dental clinic. I’m probably preaching to the choir here, but if you don’t have brothers and sisters in Christ who you know well and can walk through life with you, then ask God right now to bring them into your life. They will bring more of the peace, love and joy of Christ into your life and will form you into the person (and dentist) God made you to be.

“And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25, NIV 1984).