Hey y’all, I hope everyone is doing alright on this awesome Sunday evening. 😊
Mmmkay… so, I recently started getting my “nails did”… LOL. And by that, I mean actually going to the nail salon.
**If you’re a guy and reading… stay with me here… it’ll make sense soon**
My natural nails have grown, significantly (which they often do), and I didn’t want them to break. One of my girls suggested that I get either an
acrylic overlay (which is the same as a “full set” without the actual tips being glued on) or a gel overlay. I opted for the acrylic because I preferred the options and I didn’t want to have my fingers soaked each time I had an appointment. Now, typically, my nails grow to a certain length then they begin to break, one by one; then I end up starting over. My thumb nails don’t break like the rest of them, but they split on the side, so far down on my nail that I have to wait for them to grow out before I can cut them. These issues are what prompted my desire to protect them. The acrylic acts as a barrier from the elements and objects that would cause my nails to meet their demise. It is also something that must be kept up. Every couple weeks or so, I’ve gotta take my butt back into that nail salon for a reapplication of this nail superhero stuff.
Alright, now if you know anything about the process of having acrylic applied to your nails, you know that you nails must be stripped and drilled in order for the substance to
adhere to your nails. The stripping is to remove any nail color or other substances from your nails and the drilling is to dull the shine so that the products they use can properly stick. After the coating is applied, your nails are shaped, for appeal.
Now, I know you want to know why you should care. Well, I’ve got an answer for you. See, God is our protector, or, for my analogy’s sake, He places the “acrylic” over our lives. There will always be situations in life that could potentially cause us harm, but as long as we follow His lead and allow Him the chance to cover us, we won’t break. God is our barrier against the elements that surround us. The New Living Translation of Psalms 89:18 says, “Yes, our protection comes from the Lord, and he, the Holy One of Israel, has given us our king.” Isaiah 54:17 says, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgement thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord.” Growing up, I would hear that scripture quoted and as I got older, I learned the true meaning. Weapons form… oh they form, but the gag is, they cannot prosper against the children of God… they cannot destroy us because He is our “acrylic”, our protector. **PSA: The weapons that are against you now, cannot destroy you because you are protected!!!**
We must make the choice to put on the whole armor of God because, again, we need that acrylic to coat us and keep us from harm and evil. “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11). Yep… it’s a choice; just like my going to the nail salon for reapplication. I choose to go in order for the continual protection of my nails. Yes, God loves us and want’s to take care of us, but we must make the choice to live under His protection, under His covering. “Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.” (Psalms 57:1). Also, remember that stripping and drilling that takes place at that nail shop? Well, that’s real life! God will allow some of those life situations to strip us of what we think we need. And that drilling… that’s our process and through that process, we are shaped and molded into who God designed us to be. Our process… we must go through to get to our promise. See, they make me a promise at the nail salon every few weeks… that I will love my nails and that I will be back. Promises look good! Like that nail polish that they have you pick when you first enter the salon. Yep, as soon as you walk in, state what you’re there for, and sign that
clipboard, they have you pick your polish. BEFORE they even begin. Same with God, He reveals to us many promises before we go through the process. With God, each of our promises are different and will lead us through various processes in life. Keep your eyes on the promise.
Whatever you do this week, be sure you give God room to protect you. Talk to Him and be honest about your needs and your faults. So often, we tell God what we need and expect Him to provide, yet, we refuse to admit our wrongs and our shortcomings. If you cannot be honest with the One who created you and knows your thoughts before you think them, you are probably not being honest with yourself. **slight rant** Listen… I want God’s best for you… but you gotta want it more. Let Him “strip” you of all that has no place in your life. Embrace the “drilling”, though uncomfortable. And let God “shape” you into who He ultimately designed you to be. Trust me, you need the “acrylic”!
“For in the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me up upon a rock.” Psalms 27:5
Love y’all (I really do!!!),
Ms. A.M.White
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