Toothpaste

Year 7-Day 124: Today, I am grateful for toothpaste. 

There is nothing quite like a clean mouth and fresh breath. Toothpaste is a first world luxury that we consider a necessity. Before there was toothpaste, people would chew on mint leaves to freshen breath. People found ways to brush and floss their teeth before the modern dental hygiene tools came to market. 

In a pinch - baking soda works until you can get to the store. The brushing and flossing is more important to dental health than the toothpaste, but the toothpaste makes the task more pleasant.

There is a passage in Job that tells of the height of his physical suffering... while he was still grieving the loss of all of his children...and his body is covered with sores. The man was suffering deeply, both physically and emotionally. It says that Job's wife was repulsed by his breath. I imagine it did stink. That verse has stuck with me. It is a snapshot of suffering. It reminds me to be more compassionate. 

Can we even imagine the breath of God? He breathed into the dust and Adam's heart began to beat. The power in his life giving breath leaves me with a sense of awestruck wonder. I wonder what the breath of God smells like?  

If God were to take back his spirit  and withdraw his breath, all life would cease, and humanity would turn again to dust. -Job 34:14-15

I am grateful for the fresh breath of His grace that breathes life into our days.  Because we are human and these bodies need care... I am grateful for dental hygiene tools. 

Today, I am grateful for toothpaste.