Mark Katrick faith column: From cracked crowns to changing diets, you'll never walk alone

You know you’re in trouble when something falls from the kitchen counter and hits the floor with a sharp “CRACK!” Then you come to the sinking realization that there’s no pen or electric outlet plug cover that the cats have batted off it to play with. In fact, one of my kitties is sound asleep in her little bed.

Then, you take a deep, centering breath and feel the breeze. Since you’ve been there and done that, your worst fears are realized. A 30-year-old piece of dental work has come out. The crown was done in by a good hard bite into a crown of broccoli.

Previous crowns of mine have fallen victim to almonds and rice cakes. As the hardware in my mouth continues to increase, I continue to make changes by boiling my rice, eating slivered almonds and things that crumble rather than crack. By the way, Andy Griffith was right about Ritz Crackers; they are really good (and they melt in your mouth, too).

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Even though you’ve finally learned to take extra good care of your teeth, with the help of an excellent dentist and hygienist, the aging process grinds on (pun intended). So you grin and bear it (being careful that people won’t see where your teeth used to be). And you get out the steamer that’s been gathering dust on a shelf.

I hear there is a supplement out there that gives you your recommended dietary allowance of fruits/vegetables. I’m sure hoping they taste as good as the hard candy I used to crunch that has led me down this road I’m now traveling.

Our life journeys require a series of adjustments, one after the other, after the other. And you live, learn and grow through each and every one of them. So you make the best of a not so terribly bad situation. And you say to yourself what you’ve heard many a church member having to bear up and say over the years: “Some are a lot worse off than me.”

If you’re a preacher like me, you’ll make a story about it. Maybe you can convince the congregation that the whistling they’re hearing around the pulpit is the Holy Spirit at work or that this is a sports-related injury that has nothing to do with hockey since I can’t ice skate.

My friends in the pews will do what they always do — laugh with you, cry with you and pray for what is at the top of your Christmas list — two (or more) front teeth (implants). Then, we’ll bid each other “Godspeed” and get on with our lives, the ups, the downs and in-betweens.

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As travelers on a journey, it’s good to know that we have companions. We’ll never walk alone. Most importantly, there is a Divine Companion who lovingly watches over and provides for us every step of the way, especially when one of those expected unexpected, unpleasant moments occur.

Like the hymn says, “God will take care of you, through every day, o’er all the way.” For me, knowing that Jesus is there to laugh with me and cry with me always makes it better. It’s one of the many reasons the members and friends of my church love the picture of the “Risen Christ by the Sea” they purchased last Easter.

The grown-up Son of God, the love that came down at Christmas as a baby, is holding a fishing pole and has a big smile on his face. (with no indication he’s had dental work) It’s a reminder that no matter what we have to endure, Jesus will be there, to help us find our smiles again.

Mark Katrick is a pastor and spiritual guide.

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Mark Katrick faith column: Cracked crown serves as a reminder