"But I Look Weird!"

It is 70 degrees outside as I type this.
We have not been outside to enjoy the spring day.
Instead, we are inside the house dealing with the aftermath of my daughter having 5 teeth pulled this morning at the oral surgeon's.

The laughing gas has had the opposite effect on our little girl. Instead of giggling as I witnessed other patients doing who were gingerly guided out the recovery room, my daughter is crying. She is crying about anything and everything. We have been doing this for seven hours.

In addition, she can only eat cold things. My daughter does not like cold things. She does not like ice cream, pudding, jello, applesauce, or yogurt. Those items I have never been able to get her excited about eating. She cries if I offer any of those items. She cries because she is hungry. She cries because the television is boring. She cries because the sun is shining. She cries because I am not rocking her. She cries if I am rocking her.

Whew!

Just when I thought I could stop the cold compresses and thought she was coming around, she started crying again.
"Why are you upset, Honey?" (Yes, I actually was able to say, "HONEY," sweetly after a long day of tears.)
"I llllllooook weird!!!!!"

I have to admit, when she smiles, I see two large front teeth and a mouth now missing all the baby teeth surrounding the two front ones. It does appear a bit weird to see her smile change so drastically so quickly.

Of course, to me, she is beautiful! I tell her this is just for a short while until her other teeth grow in. Her mouth was just too small for all her teeth, and she needed room according to the othodontist. I tell her this is temporary. Some day she will have straight, beautiful teeth, and not even remember this day with all its pain and tears.

Then I hear the whisper, "Just like you, Gretchen, just like you and me."

Yes, I get it. Sometimes I look in the mirror and think, "Another weird criss-cross of wrinkles has appeared on my face overnight. I look so weird!"

Like mothers see their children, God sees us as beautiful, so beautiful as we work to reflect Jesus' love and light, as we work to seek Him daily.

All these wrinkles, pains, and tears are temporary, aren't they? Some day it will be perfect, just like my daughter's beautiful smile.

For His glory,
Gretchen