Essentially the student was commenting on the fact that I was not caring for my teeth properly. My defense seemed to be that I was content with the amount of work I did caring for my teeth. The student explained that I had a lot of misconceptions when it came to what was needed to care for my teeth. I was under the impression that everyone’s teeth fall out eventually so I will just get dentures. I was under the impression that it didn’t matter how I cared for my teeth as long as I did something.
The student explained to me that even if ‘everyone else’ gets dentures, I don’t need to, and I can keep my teeth healthy regardless of what the rest of the world does. She also explained that there are many different and important ways to keep your mouth healthy. We started discussing the idea of flossing. Flossing was something that is in my eyes, ineffective, repetitive, and time consuming. We spend a few minutes talking about flossing, when they I shared a secret confession with this student. I don’t know how to properly floss, which means that why I try it, I feel silly and like I am wasting my time. After a little sigh of relief, the student explained that she would educate and demonstrate how to floss, and how to do it effectively.
This student seemed to have all the right answers. She had convinced me that caring for my teeth was important, and she was willing to help me do it better. But that didn’t change the fact that I still thought it was too difficult. I was unable to commit to flossing every day. This student then decided to help me set some goals. She asked me if I could commit to flossing one time per week. A task I said I figured was doable. We agreed that once flossing becomes something I am more experience at, I will do multiple times per week, until I am able to do it every day and remain excited about it. She even agreed to help me track my progression and monitor that I was staying true to my commitment.
Now perhaps you are asking yourself what this has to do with anything other than teeth, or maybe you have figured it out already. But after this conversation I realized that it is important to keep your heart clean too. The problems I had with maintain my teeth, are the same problems other students have when trying to maintain a healthy spiritual life. One of the big problems students run into is the defense, “I am already doing enough.” The mindset that says; ‘Why pray when I encounter God through Scripture?’ or ‘Why read Scriptures when I hear God through prayer?’ But just like this dental hygienist was able to explain to me that brushing and flossing clean your teeth in different but equal ways, such is true of Prayer, and reading Scripture.
I also didn’t want to clean my teeth because other people didn’t, and because I figured I would just get dentures and solve the problem later. But again this student made it clear that fixing the problem later won’t help me now. Also it doesn’t matter what the rest of the world does. I can keep my teeth clean regardless of everyone else, and I need to keep my hearth clean regardless of what others decide to do, in the church or otherwise.
I also realized form this discussion that other students can see prayer, or engaging in Scripture as repetitive, ineffective, or too time consuming. A simple mindset can be all it takes for these people to have a desire to engage in Scripture and prayer, for them to realize the significance of it. But there are also students that (whether or not they will admit it) don’t know how to properly pray or read the Bible. All it takes is me leading these students in these activities. Just like this dental hygienist said she would lead me in how to properly floss. She even said she would provide me with the floss. I wonder how many students don’t own bibles, and yet I never think to buy one for them.
The last point was the idea of goal setting. I knew flossing everyday was a ridiculous goal since I didn’t find flossing interesting at all. This student asked me to commit to flossing one time per week, (and try to enjoy it) and then slowly increase how much I do it, until it becomes exciting for me to do every day. I think I have too often challenged students to commit right away to praying or reading their Bibles every day. If these students think of this as a punishment, it won’t be very effective for them, and they certainly won’t have a desire to increase how much they do it.
This student really convinced me of the importance of something she cared about. Which was great because I really care about Scripture, and sometimes I find it hard to get others to share the passion for the Word. But from this conversation I think I have a better understanding of how to get college students excited about Scripture. I know how to encourage them with an example, and I know how help them do it. Not to mention I can teach them how to Floss.
In case you were wondering the student is named Christie Rosenkrantz. Here is a link to her Facebook!
