My name is Rachel Day, and I am a dentist.

There is a hymn entitled, “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love”. I serve God through the third verse of this hymn. The third verse reads:

We will work with each other; we will work side by side, We will work with each other; we will work side by side, And we’ll guard human dignity and save human pride: And they’ll know we are Christians, by our love, by our love; Yes, they’ll know we are Christians by our love.

This country is fortunate to have many outstanding dentists. I am blessed to treat quite a few patients on a daily basis. Through these patients I have a profitable business that allows me to serve the Lord.

I believe God gave me several gifts so He could use me to reach certain patients. Among these gifts are technical expertise and compassion.

He called me to serve those patients whose dignity has been stripped by dental disease and emotional trauma.

I served the Lord in dental school when I volunteered to work in the HIV/AIDS clinic. It was the late 1980’s when AIDS hysteria was at an all time high. I was pregnant and many saw my work as a danger to my child. At a time when it was difficult to get an instructor just to come in and check our work, I approached these patients as fellow human beings. I greeted them without a mask, smiled and shook their hand without gloves; skin to skin. I did use personal protective equipment only during actual treatment. I guarded their dignity and pride. I loved them and I hope they knew I was a Christian by my love.

Today, I serve the Lord by reaching out to the patient who trembles because as a child she was violated orally. He helps me calm her and make her feel safe.

I serve the Lord by reaching out to the patient who hasn’t smiled in two years because of missing teeth. She went though the windshield of a car. He helps me restore her oral health.

I serve the Lord by praying for the patient who has oral cancer. We both pray. He smiles because I rely on his expertise.

I serve the Lord by sharing my faith with patients; so they may discover our church family and grow spiritually. He smiles because his children have found him again.

I serve the Lord by touching the man who is so paralyzed by dental fear he has his teeth extracted rather face the imagined pain of fixing them. I talk to him about his fears as tears steam down his face. He tells me I am the only one who ever saw his lack of dental care as fear rather than disinterest. The Lord smiles because I didn’t sit in judgment.

I serve the Lord by fixing two broken front teeth on a young man trying to redirect his life. He needs the teeth fixed so he can interview for a job. The Lord smiles because he sees self-esteem flourish.

I serve the Lord by empowering my employees to achieve professional growth. He smiles because they, too, will grow to guard human dignity.

I serve the Lord by listening to what my patients don’t say. I serve the Lord. He smiles.

By serving the Lord I have the reward of a smile from the patient that goes beyond the teeth and reaches the eyes, because it comes from their heart. I like to think it is the Lord smiling back at me.

I guard human dignity and save human pride. And hopefully, they will know I am a Christian by my love.