{"id":195089,"date":"2022-01-18T06:41:45","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T04:41:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/grownup-nails-2\/"},"modified":"2022-01-18T06:41:45","modified_gmt":"2022-01-18T04:41:45","slug":"grownup-nails-2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/grownup-nails-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Grownup nails"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201c\u2019For I,\u2019 declares the Lord, \u2018will be a wall of fire around her<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

[protecting her from enemies],<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

and I will be the glory in her midst.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zechariah 2:5 AMP<\/em>

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am a child from the farm country, as you know. Not from a farm, but from a place where farmers and their families are from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where there is not much time or sympathy for fancy things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From Trompsburg to Bloemfontein to Pretoria I\u2019ve managed to miss the entire phenomenon, and it would only be days before my wedding that I got my first \u201cGrownup Nails\u201d. Of course, they were longer than any practical duties could require, but this was my wedding after all!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn\u2019t last long, and on day two of our honeymoon those suckers had to go. In the car, with no other way, nail clippers and teeth had to do. I know, I know \u2026 the entire \u201cnail brigade\u201d is shuddering right now, for that is not how it should be done at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nevertheless \u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A month or so after, I started considering giving it a second try. The length could be tamed a bit, and perhaps I could afford it a longer induction period before classifying the experiment as a failure?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

17 years on, and the attraction can now clearly be described as a habit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here I England the adjustment was \u2026 interesting. Here you can find Adams whose job it is to keep the Eves\u2019 hands looking beautiful, and that was interesting. As mentioned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I found a Chinese Katie (to go with our South African Katie, of course), and she became my regular maintenance go-to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until year 18 when Covid struck. Katie closed shop as did many other Adams and Eves in the business. For the next 15 months I would walk around with my originals \u2013 just glammed-up a bit. But not too much \u2013 we were still working from home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the meantime, as the initial wariness passed, my job description grew with the addition of setting up a large, red gazebo. My first reaction was that I could not expose the fragile finger adornments to that much fierceness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Until a week ago. You know how you get the urge to just splash out on yourself a bit \u2026? The hair gets a new shade (from a box, or not), feet get a spa treatment (in the living room, or at the Real Thing), and for me it was New Nails. From Katie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After two years I stepped out of there with a French on my nails and a smile in my heart. Some of you may think small things amuse small minds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I prefer to see ways of finding joy in the smaller things in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides \u2013 it gave me something to share with you today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See, since I have gotten my New Nails, I\u2019ve realised:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My touch is gentler. Whether it is the stubborn washing machine door, the boxes of product that must be opened, my earring on the bathroom floor, or the 6-pack litre bottles of water that has to be opened, wiped and put away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything is handled much more gently.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My own self too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The mascara-blob on my eye is approached with much more caution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My body cream applied with more reverence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

My denim zipped up and buttoned much more carefully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019m gentler with myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For those Adams that couldn\u2019t care less about nails, this may sound like utter nonsense. And even for the Eves that has never even considered anything else than the originals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But for someone who was used to getting a good grip on things, who never thought twice about trying forcefulness, and who wouldn\u2019t back away from a challenge when there was no male counterpart in sight, this was a wonderful homecoming.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am allowed to be gentler with the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And with myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Lord is a wall of fire around me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I don\u2019t have to be fire brigade and fire extinguisher and rescuer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am allowed to be soft and let Him shelter me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As He has promised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And when large, red gazebos need assembling, He will show me how to do what is necessary with a gentle hand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As He has promised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor I am the Lord your God<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

who takes hold of your right hand<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

and says to you,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Do not fear;<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I will help you.\u2019\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Isaiah 41:13 NIV<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your inspiration for the week: GOD will work it out<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your inspiration for the week:  GOD will work it out<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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