Manicure revisted...Day 6

"manicure revisted"

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:10

My very first manicure was done by a very serious 4 year old boy.  Standing on one side of a tiny table placed in the doorway of his bedroom, Brian had all my nail polish bottles spread out so his “customer” could choose her favorite color.

I knelt on the other side of the table, choose my color, then spread my hands out on the table and my little nail artist went to work.

With the manual dexterity of a 4 year old and the artistic "sense of purpose" of Michelangelo, Brian carefully painted my nails.  I watched his little face as he exerted great effort to make the nail polish go where he wanted it to.  His little brow furrowed in frustration from time to time as nail polish ended up not just on my nails, but my hands, his hands, the table, and his face when he reached up to scratch his cheek. I kept saying, “Wow, look how beautiful you’re making Mommy’s fingernails!”  And, “Oh, Brian you are so good at this…I can’t wait for my friends to see the amazing job you did!” 

I think the encouragement meshed with his artistic nature spurred him on. Before long I had not just the color I chose on my nails, but Brian used colors from every bottle on his little table!

I could see him growing more confident and freer in how he was painting as I encouraged him along.  Finally he stopped painting, looked up at my face and he said, “How’s that?”

I said, “I love how you painted my nails. “Will you paint my toenails too?”

I think it took about 4 hours for all that nail polish to actually dry!  Two days later we went to church.  Brian’s teacher noticed my fingernails as I signed him into his classroom.  I told her that Brian had painted them and she told me how beautiful they looked.  Out of the corner of my eye I could see Brian beaming with his twinkly-eyed smile.

This memory is as clear as if it happened yesterday. And it reminds me of how God is with each of us.  He gives us unique gifts, passions and abilities.  He allows us to seek him in discovering how he wants us to use those gifts.  He gives us the courage to step out and use those gifts even when they are still raw and we have a long road of learning and growing to do.  Sometimes we make a mess of things…but that’s okay…God sees the heart behind the mess. 

It is so freeing to being able to use gifts with great abandon within the safety of God’s boundaries (His Word).  I think about how much I want to honor God with my life and gifts…and sometimes, like during times of transition, I feel a little hesitant, but then once I venture out and “start painting those nails” and I feel God’s encouragement, pleasure, and even His correction in my Spirit…I respond by wanting to use the things he’s placed in my life with even greater enthusiasm and sense of purpose. 

By, the way, about the manicure…it is still the best one I have ever received …I have had 4 others since then, but it is the only one done by someone who loves me!  And as for Brian, now he is 18 and paints for Jesus with his music, film, and heart for the lost...and I see the EXACT same look on his face when he does those things as when he painted my nails!