Pulling Teeth and Growing Roots

The process of losing a tooth has always fascinated me! Neat facts, I was able to pull out the first tooth of one of the little girls I used to nanny, which was special.  And now my oldest daughter lost her first tooth a couple of weeks ago, and she has another one that is probably going to be coming out within the next couple of days....I don't know how time has gone so fast, and she is already losing her teeth.

As we were driving home from church one day, my oldest asked me, "Mamma, why can't my tooth just pop out?  Why does it take so long and hurt my gums?" I told her, "Well, because your new adult tooth is still growing in, and it pushes the roots of your baby tooth out to make room for your bigger tooth! It just takes time, and you have to be patient."

Previously, we talked about how wiggling her tooth will help it get looser, faster, so we can pull it out. We also find it intriguing how sometimes it makes a big PoP!  We love to giggle about that!

These conversations really got me thinking about how our walk with Christ can resemble the process of losing our teeth.  

Firstborn babies usually don't have teeth yet and just have gums, but while those teeth are growing in, goodness, that is painful.  The tiny sharp bones poking through tender gum tissue is usually quite the process; it is time-consuming, leading to pain, a runny nose, no appetite, little sleep, and sometimes fevers and runny poo.  Most of the time, it is not a walk in the park for them, but it is important because it prepares them to get nutrients through food as well as milk. 

Now that the baby teeth have taken their spot and have set their roots.  I compare this to becoming an infant believer. Romans 10:9-10 says, 9 If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 

Jesus came down, lived a perfect life, died on the cross, rose from the grave, and conquered death. Becoming infant believers, our "baby teeth" that come in are kind of like our works and habits forming, some of them seem painful, but they are important and for a reason.  

Then we have the process of the adult tooth starting to grow in. Gums become uncomfortable because something bigger with deeper roots is growing and pushing out the roots of our baby teeth. Our little teeth become wiggly, and the roots start to get looser, and every now and then, there is a big PoP that does slightly more than the little wiggles. 

As our Faith in Christ grows, sometimes it is uncomfortable, and some of our little roots that served as important milestones for us need to grow into bigger and deeper roots. 

For example, our little root of reading bible verses, which is essential, needs to turn into the adult roots of memorizing scripture.  And our little root of praying quietly to God by ourselves needs to turn into the adult root of not only praying by ourselves but also gathering and praying together. 

Just like our baby teeth roots, not all roots that need to be removed are bad, but there is a time and place where the once important, good roots, have served their purpose and need to come out, making room for growth for bigger and deeper roots to be able to take hold.

I also find it very interesting how my daughter had already lost a tooth; it basically just fell out, with not very much pain, and she could not stop laughing.  She had such a fun experience losing her first tooth. And still, for some reason, the thought of losing this one is so hard for her.  When we talk about getting ready to pull it out, she just starts crying and says, "But I don't want it to come out."  Reminding me that sometimes I resist what needs to grow. Sometimes needing a little help (wiggling my tooth), and sometimes I need a bigger PoP to happen, to loosen it up enough, so it can come out with more ease. 

Yes, sometimes the act of pulling the little roots out can hurt, but once they are out, there is a sense of relief and room to grow.  Which brings up some important questions to ponder.

~What little roots am I holding onto, for way too long, that I need to let go of?

~Am I hesitant for any of my little roots to come out?  If so, why?

~If I am not willing for my little roots to come out, is that due to a lack of trust in God's faithfulness to provide deeper, more beneficial roots for me?

God is always faithful and provides the deep roots where I need. While my maturity in Christ is still growing, it pushes the roots of my immaturity out, making room for the bigger, deeper, mature roots! 

It just takes time, and I have to be patient.