The Annoyances/Injustices of Dental School

Since Robbie has started school, I've begun to realize that I have a pretty nasty temper. Not towards Robbie, mind you, but towards inefficiency, bureaucracy, and just plain unfairness. Any time I perceive that my husband's time, money, talents, etc. are being wasted (or worse, abused) I feel a great deal of anger boiling up inside of me threatening to cause a verbal explosion of words I usually don't like to use.

For example, it greatly frustrates me that we are paying so much for his schooling and yet some of the staff seem to treat their job like it's a joke. Don't get me wrong-- there are some truly excellent teachers at the school, but I can think of several teachers who are simply terrible or classes that are a complete waste of time in regards to making them better Dentists. When all of the upper classmen say, "Oh don't worry, we all failed that class but he will curve it at the end," just tells me that that teacher is not doing his job properly. It's so annoying to see the inefficiency and lack of communication as well as to see the students treated like little kids when they are supposed to be in professional school. 

The most recent example of injustice occurred last week when Robbie informed me that 17 high speed handpieces had gone missing from the simulation lab at school. Each of those handpieces costs about $1000, so having 17 stolen is comparable to one semester of in-state tuition being stolen from the school. Not cool. But what pissed me off was the schools response to the issue. They informed the students that the sim lab would be closed outside of school hours "until further notice." Basically that left them a couple hours of time outside of class during the week to complete all of their lab assignments and practice work. Not only were they treating all of the students like criminals (without any proof that it was in fact a student who had stolen the handpieces), but they were taking away extremely valuable practice time that the students desperately need to become Dentists. 

My initial gut reaction was to go to the school and give the staff a piece of my mind on their ridiculous solution to the problem. Why not assign a handpiece to each student instead of having them floating around freely? Or have a check-in/check-out system for the handpieces? How do you know it's not one of the staff members or cleaning crew taking the handpieces? I desperately wanted to give full vent to my anger. Luckily, God brought to mind several reasons why this was not an appropriate thing to do.

1) Robbie is not 5 years old and I am not his mother. He is an adult pursuing a professional degree. In his life, he will face many injustices and difficulties and it is not my job to run to his aide and "fix things" by showing off how awesomely mad I can get. It is my job to remind him that God is still in control and that our responsibility is to shine Christ's love in all situations.

2) Spouting off a bunch of curses to the staff would only hurt Robbie and would not improve the situation. I frequently need to remind myself that my actions as Robbie's wife have a profound effect on other people's perception of him. Proverbs describes the impact a wife of noble character can have on her husband and how people view him. When my actions are based out of a desire to control or belittle others, it reflects poorly on Robbie, too. (What kind of man must he be to marry someone like that? etc.) When my actions are based out of a heart that trusts in God, it builds other people's respect for both Robbie and me.

 "An excellent wife, who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life... Her husband is known in the gates when he sits among the elders of the land." -Proverbs 31:10-12,23

 "An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who shames him is like rottenness in his bones." -Proverbs 12:4

 "House and wealth are an inheritance from fathers, but a prudent wife is from the LORD." -Proverbs 19:14

3) Proverbs has even more to say on controlling ones anger and words. 

 "He who is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who is quick tempered exalts folly." -Proverbs 14:29

 "He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city." -Proverbs 16:32

 "There is one who speaks rashly like the thrusts of a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing." -Proverbs 12:18

 "He who guards his mouth and tongue guards his soul from troubles." -Proverbs 21:23

 "Like a city that is broken into and without walls is a man who has no control over his spirit." -Proverbs 25:28 

"A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man holds it in check." -Proverbs 29:11

The situation with the sim lab has actually improved some since last week (and it happened without me going in and cussing people out! Imagine that!). The lab was open on Saturday for a certain period of time because the school had someone in there checking in and out the handpieces. I am so glad I didn't make a fool of myself (and Robbie) and that the situation is already improving without me even needing to say a word.

Thank God for lessons in patience and self control! I know I need to grow in that area a lot and that having a character that pleases Jesus will make me a better wife and mother.