We Get What We Expect

Shae, our firstborn, cut her baby teeth earlier than most babies; and from the beginning, her bite wasn’t completely straight. She went on to lose her baby teeth early and had her 12 year molars before she was 10 years old.

With each 6 month check-up, the dentist told us our daughter would need braces when she was older. Though he encouraged us to go ahead and see an orthodontist for a consultation, we decided to wait until she was old enough to get the braces.

“I don’t want braces,” Shae announced when she was 9 years old.

I thought about it for a second. “Okay,” I replied. “We will pray and believe your teeth will straighten without braces.”

Every night when we put Shae to bed, we would thank the Lord that her teeth were straightening and she would not need braces.

With every dental visit, Shae’s bite was slowly improving. 2 months before her 12th birthday, the dentist announced Shae’s teeth had lined up, her bite was perfect, and he didn’t see any reason she would need braces.

Obviously there is nothing wrong with wearing braces, though they can be painful, difficult to clean, and expensive. But I saw this as an opportunity to agree with Shae’s faith and do it a better way.

Today Shae is 30 years old. She not only has a beautiful smile; she also has a testimony of God’s faithfulness to His Word and her child-like faith.

Then Jesus put his hands over their eyes and said, “You will have what your faith expects!”

Matthew 9:29 (TPT)

We get what we expect. It’s up to us.