Tuesday's Thoughts ~ Invisalign your Life

I am wrapping up 6 months of invisalign braces.  I never had traditional braces, but I could probably have used them!  By the time someone suggested that, I was graduating from college, and teaching High School with braces on just didn't seem wise.  These days, I would venture to guess that almost all kids have braces at some point.

Straight teeth are a luxury and not something that I had to have ~ but something I always wanted to have.  Of course, straight teeth are good for dental health, but I really just wanted to look in the mirror and see straight teeth.  Alan was kind enough to go along with this indulgence!

It is a process that involves a series of plastic trays that gradually move your teeth to the right spot.  It is done by subtle pressure .  You wear them all the time with the exception of eating a meal.  You brush your teeth many, many times a day.  As you switch out the trays every two weeks, they, step by step, move your teeth to proper alignment.  It is a pretty amazing process.

So - why am I writing about invisalign braces?  

Have I become a spokesman for the company?

NO

As I was finishing up this process this week, it made me think of that gradual work of spiritual formation in our lives.  I thought about Derek Webb's song, Crooked Deep Down.

good lord i am crooked deep down
everyone is crooked deep down
but good lord i am crooked deep down
everyone is crooked deep down
everyone is crooked deep down

I have to agree. 

We all need spiritual braces.

We are a crooked bunch.  We struggle with selfishness, a slew of crazy thoughts running through our minds and a desire to simply fulfill all our desires!

Sin runs deep.

The most amazing thing happens when we submit our crookedness to the Lord.  Much like my dentist, He accesses the situation and prescribes the solution.

He takes those areas of our lives that are truly crooked and begins the process of bringing us in alignment with His Word, His character and His desires.

Much like my braces, it is a gradual work of the Spirit.  As we seek after God, allowing Him to have His way with our crookedness -- He aligns our spirit with His and before we know it, we begin to look like our Heavenly Father.

And as you can imagine . . . we smile.

My braces were a bit painful at points.  That pressure was occasionally uncomfortable and I even had a few headaches.

There were times when I wondered if the hassle of the invisalign was worth it.  I grew weary of the process at some points and had to remind myself that the outcome would be worth it.

The same can be said for spiritual formation.  The changes that the work of the Spirit brings in our life are sometimes difficult.  There are moments that are very uncomfortable and even painful.  There is routine and discipline that is not always exciting, but much like my braces, the outcome will be worth it.

There is great joy in aligning our life with the life of Jesus.

In fact, there is no greater joy.

May the Spirit continually be aligning your life with the life of Jesus.

SMILE :-)