G=Goals O=Outlook A=Authentic T=Truth (#coateisaGOAT)
This past week was humbling in more ways than one.
I had a tooth extracted that I should have taken care of over a year ago. I knew something wasn’t right back then. I felt the warning signs. But I ignored them—hoping it would settle down, telling myself I’d deal with it later, convincing myself I could just push through.
And for a while, I did.
What I didn’t realize was how much my body had been working behind the scenes. Fighting infection. Compensating. Overworking. Once the tooth was removed, I felt better almost immediately—and that’s when it really hit me how long I had been living at less than my best. I was tired. Low energy. Foggy. Just not myself. And I had normalized all of it.
Our bodies are incredible. God designed them to give us signals when something isn’t right. Pain, fatigue, discomfort—those aren’t inconveniences to ignore; they’re invitations to pay attention. I just didn’t want to listen.
Tooth pain is no joke, and I don’t ever want to experience that again. But more than that, this experience reminded me that I’m getting older and healing doesn’t happen as quickly as it used to. Had I listened sooner—had I acted when I first knew—I likely would’ve spared myself a lot of unnecessary pain and complications.
And honestly… this felt like such a picture of life.
How often does God nudge us about something we need to address? A habit. A relationship. A decision. A health concern. A boundary. We feel the unease, the tension, the gentle conviction—but instead of facing it, we delay. We hope it resolves itself. We pray for relief without action. Meanwhile, we’re exhausted, anxious, and stretched thin, wondering why we feel so worn down.
Behind the scenes, we’re working overtime—just like my body was.
This experience reminded me that stewardship isn’t just about what we give or what we manage on paper. It’s also about how we care for what God has entrusted to us—our bodies, our time, our relationships, our peace. Sometimes faith looks like trusting God and taking the next responsible step, even when it’s uncomfortable.
I’m grateful the situation didn’t become more serious. I’m thankful for grace, for healing, and for the lesson—hard as it was. And I’m choosing to let it sharpen my awareness moving forward.
So this week, I’m asking myself: What have I been putting off that I already know needs my attention? And maybe that’s a question worth sitting with, too.
Let’s be a little more honest with ourselves. A little quicker to listen. A little braver in facing things head-on.
Because often, the thing we’re avoiding is the very thing God is using to bring healing on the other side.
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