David-Otis

David Otis, DDS

Dr. Otis practices dentistry in Collegedale, TN. His interest in medical ministry began early in life, as he observed compassionate Christian healthcare professionals from an Adventist hospital in his town.

Dr. Otis received his dental degree from Loma Linda University in 1985. He now practices with a dedicated team at Otis Family Dentistry. He’s married to Ida and they have four adult children- William, Melissa, Bethany, and Bryan.

Not I, But Christ

in Spring 2016   |
Published on 09/15/2016   |
6 min | <<|>>

About ten years ago my wife and I knelt down in the quiet, empty waiting room of the dental practice we had just acquired. Starting over is always difficult and in truth, we had no reason to believe that we would succeed here, except for one thing: God plainly showed us, through a series of incredible providences, this is where He wanted us. So we’d left Pennsylvania and moved to Tennessee. And then we bowed together and prayed, committing our new practice, and ourselves to God.

From my first day in dental school, I wanted to let the Lord be in charge of my work. I was blessed to be raised in a Christian home. My father, who died near the end of my first year at Loma Linda, gave us an excellent example of faithfulness to God and to his family. He spent his entire life sharing the good news of salvation through Literature Evangelism, and in every other way he could. Because of his example, I earnestly desired to have a positive impact on my patients, even though I did not feel qualified to lead anyone to Jesus. Thankfully, as I once heard Elder Robert Folkenberg say, “God does not need our ability—He needs our availability.” Sharing Christ in the workplace isn’t about me. It’s about believing in His ability to perform His work through me. The burden is on His shoulders, not mine.

Despite feelings of inadequacy in my ability to witness in a way that I felt would rightly represent Jesus, I decided I wanted to try so I put the Lord to the test. Each morning on the way to work I prayed a prayer something like this: “Lord, if there is someone that needs to know You a little bit better today, then bring them into the office and make me a blessing to them in some way.”

Don’t pray that prayer unless you expect it to be answered! The Lord loves to answer such prayers! He is teaching me to watch the faces of my patients, just as Jesus watched the faces of the people who came to hear Him speak. As we pray and observe, the Holy Spirit teaches us when and how to speak a word that meets the needs of the person before us.

Just a few weeks ago, I was once again really feeling inadequate as a witnessing tool for God. However, I went ahead and prayed my usual prayer in the morning then watched and waited to see what the Lord might bring to my attention. But all day long there was nothing. As I finished treating the last patient of the day, I scooted my chair around to face the patient and felt a deep impression to ask her if I could have prayer with her. She said, “Oh, please do!”

I had only met this woman one other time in my office, and that was about a year and a half earlier. I could not recall anything about her life. I perceived that she did not share my church affiliation. I bowed my head and asked God to be with her, and her family— and that He would give them hope and peace and courage. I finished my prayer and looked up to see that she was weeping.

That opened the door and she began to share. She told me she had thought about her first visit to my office every day for more than a year. She said, “You were preparing to leave on a mission trip to Africa, and I had a set of blue Bible story books that I thought you could share with kids who would like them. When I was a child, these books meant so much to me. My father bought them from a salesman who came to our door. Dad read them to me, and I loved them. Sadly, my children do not have an interest in God right now. You may not remember, but you fixed my daughter’s teeth at a health fair at the Samaritan center a few years ago. Drugs and alcohol have since taken over her life, and I am raising her children. My son just told me yesterday that he is gay, and does not have an interest in God. My brother was in a car accident a few months back, and was in a coma for a long time. Then he died. My father went to the hospital every day to be with my brother, but the stress was too much for him. He had a heart attack and died. So thank you for praying for me and my family. It means so much to me!”

By the time my patient had finished her story, I had tears in my eyes. Nothing could have cheered my heart more than hearing her affirmation of the value she gained from the old blue Bible Story books like the ones my father had placed in homes for so many years while I was growing up. God was also reminding me that He is still willing to use my availability, even when I did not feel that I had anything to share. I do not know the end of the story in this woman’s life. Maybe I will never know. But I do know that God brought her into my office that day, and not for her sake alone. It was for my growth and encouragement too. She made me realize that the Lord is able to bless others through me even when I don’t see the results. It is truly more blessed to give than to receive. God will use and bless everyone who will pray for His guidance and be available for His use. I’m a firm believer in Literature Evangelism through a well-stocked literature rack. There is a good variety of reading material in the waiting room of my practice. Some of it is on health, and some of it is about God’s way of dealing with human beings. The “silent witnesses” in those racks need to be readily available to our patients and staff.

Different parts of the country tend to require different kinds of missionary work in some respects. But the wellstocked literature rack should be a staple wherever we work. Back in Pennsylvania, where I practiced for the first twenty years, there were fewer SDA’s per capita than there are in India. It was a real mission field, and the literature rack was a very important resource. After the Lord moved us to Tennessee ten years ago, I did not know what to expect. I was apprehensive about living in an “Adventist Ghetto” (as some people refer to towns with a high SDA concentration like Collegedale, TN, Berrien Springs, MI or Loma Linda, CA). However, the Lord provides an opportunity to witness wherever He places us. Over the years I have learned that there are thousands of former Seventh-day Adventists in this new mission field. And once again, the literature rack is proving to be a valuable witnessing tool.

As medical professionals, we need to remember that our outreach is as much about our staff as about the patients who come in. Staff members need to see the love of Jesus reflected in us every day. This is another reason for my daily prayer on the way to the office. Some of my office workers are not Seventh-day Adventists, but all of them are real Christians. Every day, patients who come in are dealing with numerous crises in their lives. The workers often share appropriate witnessing literature from the racks with those who are discouraged, who have lost loved ones, or who are simply wanting to understand who God is. Besides this, they are in tune with the needs of the patients, and often encourage them by kind words and a helpful demeanor. In this way they support and expand upon my efforts to share God’s love.

Time has shown us many of the blessings God placed in our path when He called us to Collegedale. Those blessings are too many to list here. But the greatest blessing of all is a deeper understanding of the ways God wants to work in my life. I am just a sinner, saved by grace. I can identify with everyone who sits in my dental chair. When I work for the Lord, I’m just one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread. It is the simple witness that counts for the most. I want nothing more than to be true to the One who has done so much for me. I have nothing better to offer than Jesus. My patients and staff need to know that there is hope beyond today, and that this hope is so real to me that I will make all of my life’s decisions based upon my faith in God. When Jesus is really in charge of every area of my life, then His Holy Spirit can work through me in ways I could never manage on my own.

God has more than answered that first prayer my wife and I prayed in the waiting room of our newly acquired practice in Collegedale. Today I can truly say, “I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day” (2 Timothy 1:12). This is what makes life worthwhile.

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