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Day 65: Just Do It!


May 19, 2020

Just do it!  This phrase made famous by Nike always reminds me of trying to pull my teeth, as a kid.  (Why couldn’t teeth just fall out? Why couldn’t they Just Do It?)  This painful terrifying process usually went something like this.  I would feel the loose tooth in my mouth and would start to work on loosening it more by wiggling it with my tongue or fingers.  This would go on for a day or two.  Then came the dreaded moment when my dad noticed what I was doing.  “Lisa, do you have a loose tooth?” Talk about wanting to lie!  I had a plan.  I knew how to get the tooth out (eventually). But once dad knew about it, that tooth was coming out before bed time no matter what.  I think dad secretly worried that I would choke on the tooth in my sleep.  Or maybe he was trying to avoid orthodontic expenses.  Either way, the man was relentless. “You pull it, or I will!”  I can’t even comment on the fear that statement put into my heart.  I would wiggle the tooth harder and more often.  “Lisa, the Tooth Fairy isn’t going to come tonight if you don’t get that tooth out!”  (Who cares? It's only a quarter!)  Wiggle, wiggle, push, pull.  Nothing….  It wasn’t long before he would get out the notorious ball of thick string and cut a long piece off.  I can still picture him tying the (tooth sized) loop on the end.  He would “let me” put the string on myself. (Gee, thanks.)  Then he would say, “Pull it! Just do it!”.  Seriously?  Just yank out my own tooth.  No wonder when something is hard for us to get other people to do, we say “it is like pulling teeth”.  I remember walking around with that string hanging out of my mouth, praying for God to just do it, please!  Too bad there were no video cameras in the 60’s.  We could have won big money on America’s Funniest Home Videos with the doorknob trick and the “Here, tie it to this and drop it” experiment.  As a parent now, with five children who have all their grown-up teeth, I understand Dad’s mission and his frustration.  He knew, as I do now, that the fear and the dreading of it was the worst part.  It was something that needed to be done “for my own good” and the quicker the better.  My dad loves me immensely and unconditionally.  He is always there to help me when I need anything.  If I don’t call him for a few days, he calls me and says, “What’s going on? I haven’t heard from you.” Usually if I haven’t called Dad, there is something going on in my life that I am trying to handle.  He knows this about me.  I am trying to work it out on my own. (just like that tooth).  My dad loves me a lot, but my heavenly Father loves me even more.  So many times, I have a problem and I am paralyzed by fear.  Fear of “how will I ever do this”, fear of “how can I live without…”, and all the “what if” scenarios that my head creates to scare my heart.  And then in my heart I hear God say, “Lisa, do you have a problem? Bring it to me.  Stop trying to handle it on your own. Let me help you! ”  Some Bible verses that remind me where my help comes from are these:  Joshua 1:9 “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Proverbs 3:5-6, (The Message version of the Bible) “Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track.” And 1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Just do it!  Smile and be joyful!

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