Today, I got a crown on one of my teeth. Don't worry I will avoid TMI, but the whole process got me thinking about "whitewashed tombs."
In the Bible, Jesus likened the Pharisees to whitewashed tombs. They presented a righteousness to the world, but they were not clean on the inside.
Crowns (dental crowns) are different. Dental crowns are used to protect what is left of a broken or decayed tooth from being damaged further. They form a shield over the tooth and help that tooth to serve it's purpose within the mouth. [side note: I promise I did not set out for this post to be a religious one, but it's trying to preach on its own].
My focus for this year is to live a life that is authentic to who I truly am: flaws, quirks, oddities and all. To fight the urge to "put on" a self that I feel like will win me affection if it means denying who I am. But, I also don't want to be a broken or rotten person. I have growth areas that need to be addressed. In some areas of my life, I do need to put on new ways of being. Not to deny who I am, but to better showcase it. Being true to one's self does not give license to be any kind of way.
There is a core that I need to preserve, but some other things that need to be filed away and replaced with sturdier material.
I guess what I am saying is that I learned a lesson at the dentist today. Sometimes, you need to crown yourself: protect your core and cover yourself in strength. So, the GMLRC for 2012 is proving that I can. I think it is a propitious striving.
