Where's the Teeth?

Things are not always what they seem.

Especially with children.

For example. At first blush, this picture appears to be one of a very messy little girl gleefully enjoying broccoli, pasta, and a wagon wheel cracker. And apple juice. And actually, it is. Isn't she cute?



But if you look further, beyond the green and gold fragments into that wide, wide open mouth... and take a magnifying glass... and use your imagination just a tiny bit... you would see...

a tooth!

That's right, friends. The tooth has arrived. Finally. After what must have been six months of teething, if you listen to her Mommy. Now, it's just the tip of that tooth and it still has a ways to go... but friends, it is here. Hallelujah!

No really. Her teeth have been the subject of prayer requests since October. Because I was convinced that she started teething back then. And after all the encouragement that some children are just difficult teethers, that the sickness and diarrhea and all that is a sign of teething, that she'd have her teeth soon enough... I mean, I felt like it was so bad that I was just certain that she'd pop eight teeth at once. But the teeth never came.

Well, sleep eventually came back to our house (praise the Lord!) and all was peaceful. And then, all of a sudden... here it is! It came without whining or fanfare or frustration. What a blessing that they really can just "appear" out of nowhere one day.

The thing of teething was certainly not what it seemed, but more likely just a normal child with normal sleep patterns and normal parents just trying to, by the grace of God, figure out what this whole thing is all about.