A Momentous Occasion

I didn't want to post too soon for fear of being a hypocrite later...but I have officially slept without a mouth guard for 5 nights running now. This may seem non-monumentous (that is a word right?) to you, but I have ground my teeth for years!

It all started about 7 or 8 years ago when I was realizing that the occasional jaw pain and strange feelings in my teeth probably weren't a good sign. But my efforts to sleep with a mouth guard ended up with either gagging or finding the thing under my pillow or on the floor the next morning.

Then in February 2005 when we went through an absolutely horrible situation with my dad, I began to grind my back teeth down to nubs. And that is not an exaggeration! Sleeping with a mouth guard became mandatory if I wanted to have any molars left.

I've had a constant companion in my mouth guard over the last 6+ years. Through all of the ups and downs, pain and trials, joys and sadness...he (actually a series of "he's") has been my friend through it all. Then as I began to explore this idea of Weightlessness and God led me to Scriptures that talked about having "sweet sleep" (Proverbs 3:24), I began to ask Him if He could seriously help me do this. Basically, I said something similar to "I want me some a dat!"

If you've been reading very long, you know that God has brought me through many amazing lessons in the last few months. He's also been faithful to provide and remind me to trust in Him and Him alone. I wrote in He's Rapidly Putting This All Together that He had even led me to pray, "Do I need to keep praying everyday that I trust You to either miraculously provide or have You deeply impress upon us how we are to provide or do You just have that covered?" I instantly felt His Spirit assure me, "You don't need rent today...let's talk about it when you do."

All the while this desire for "sweet sleep" has been very faithful to recur in my thoughts/prayers to God. Then about a week or so ago, I started getting this "feeling" that maybe I was only still clinching my teeth because I had the mouth guard in. So last Thursday night, I took the plunge and slept without it. Since then, there's been only one time I've woken up and thought that I might have ground my teeth...but only a little.

Please don't think any of this was my doing. Looking back over the last 6+ years, I can see the Hand of God patiently, lovingly teaching me to dump the stress and let Him carry the burdens. All of the traumatic situations He has brought us through in that time, it's amazing I have any teeth left! There were times when it was so bad my jaw would ache during the day because even awake I was still clenching my teeth.

But praise God, Jesus told us "For My yoke is easy and My burden is light." (Matthew 11:30). Praise His Name...I am living proof that is a promise you can hang your mouth guard on!