Congratulations, you’re still standing! 

I’m almost 100% confident I am not the only one to write to you about the strange downfall we’ve experienced since March. I might be the only one to congratulate you though. So why did I pick today to offer you this sentiment?

September 8th, 2020. Timing.

The start of a short week. Labor Day weekend, a mark of the end of summer and a day to celebrate those in the workforce. I want to recognize all of you, because you are hard working, honest individuals trying to navigate one of the toughest years on record. I also want to applaud those who, despite their efforts to support themselves and their families, were laid off because of various economic pressures and uncertainties. Keep your heads up, you’re still standing. The first day of {virtual} school. A few weeks delayed and definitely different than the first school days of the past. We see you Cedar Rapids parents, Derecho put yet another wrench into your plans and we acknowledge your perseverance and patience. You’re still standing.

A personal blow on this Tuesday night. It was my first weekend without Iowa football, which I knew would wreck me, but I didn’t know how bad until now (Go Hawkeyes). 

And in all of this I have to remind myself: God is never late and rarely early. His timing is always perfect. 

It’s easy to brush this idea off as something said in order to make an excuse for bad timing (like there is ever a “good” time for something like the Derecho to happen!?).  And yet, when you take those words for what they are worth, looking at timing not as something spatial, but rather as opportunities for a change of course, you might discover (like I did) that God’s timing is perfect.

Let me explain… 

Many of us could not hide from the mass power outages that swept through Iowa, including one of my ceramists (also known as a dental lab technician) who temporarily moved into the back of my office in efforts to continue working and serving patients. As a result, I was fortunate to see all of the fine details and hard work that go into customizing not only a single dental veneer or other restoration, but a complete smile makeover. But how do I know God’s timing was perfect?

Recently I looked into purchasing a machine to make my restorations.  For a second I thought the convenience of fabricating a patient’s onlay, crown, or other restoration the same day outweighed the extra time the touch of a human hand requires. However, having our ceramist in office gave me an up close and personal crash course on the creativity, artistry, and level of detail an experienced “human hand” can have on the final product.

Another reason I know God’s timing to be perfect?

In the same two week period Lance was camped out in the back of my office, we had three women desiring to enhance their smile. It was as if God allowed me to “borrow” Lance for a few weeks to really hone in on the details and dig in on natural esthetics.  We had such a great time with these unique circumstances that we decided to highlight each one of their stories individually. 

Finally, I want to encourage you to examine the opportunities this time has given, the change of course you may have been dealt. Has it allowed you to reexamine your career and what trajectory you’re on?  Or maybe it has given you time to enhance the lives of your children or loved ones and redirect their paths for the better? Could it be that this season of life has given you the opportunity to help someone you have never met, or receive the help of another and found grace through the madness?

In service to you and your health,

Dr. Kriegel