I have ugly hands. I have always. They are scarred with short nails that can never really grow because I have the thinnest fingernails ever. They rip off very easily. So I keep them cut short. I have envied beautiful nails and hands for awhile now, but have never been willing to do anything about it. And here is my reasoning.
In high school, I had the opportunity to be in the school musical "Once Upon A Mattress". I played the role of Queen Aggrivaine (not sure if that is the correct spelling but I am going to leave it.) For the role I got DRAGONLADY fake fingernails put on for the duration of the play. For those who have never had nails put on, I think they are the longest possible nails you can "put on". They stuck out from the tip of my finger about three quarters of an inch. A friend of the family put them on for me. They were a pain in more ways than one. For someone going from having no fingernails to having them so long, it put a lot of pressure and pain at the nail bed. They were now a lever. The guys liked them and would come up to me and ask me to scratch their backs.
But the other problem was that I could not button up the 501 Levis I wore in high school. I would get ready for school as well as I could, take care of the necessities and then not drink water all day as to not have to go to the bathroom. This is probably too much information. The point I want to make is that they were a hassle, in more ways than one. I will probably never get nails that long put on again, if at all.
Instead, I want hands calloused, and worn out in the service to others. Perhaps some day when I see my Lord, he will judge me by the appearance of my hands, knowing that I did use my hands to be His. That is what I dream of, what I long for. For "only in the service of your fellow beings" are "ye in the service of your God".
Friday, August 20, 2010
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6 comments:
Kate, it makes me giggle to think of you with long nails:) I'm with you I would much rather have servicable hands--thanks for sharing!
Funny I should read this today as just this morning I was trying to get the dirt out of my fingernails from doing yardwork. And I was thinking about how every Sunday I sit in church and usually notice some dirt that I couldn't get out. And I always think about Sis. Hinckley's quote about how she wants to go to heaven in station wagon and meet the Lord with peanut butter and jelly on her shirt and a little dirt in her nails from working in the garden. (I'm paraphrasing but you've probably heard the quote.) And now I'll think of you and how you want to use your hands to be His because the hands of a friend who lift us up are always beautiful.
Lisa,
I had not heard that quote before but now I am going to have to go look it up. I think that is exactly what I meant. Thanks for sharing!
I love this thought Kate and love you even more. :)
You do wonderful things with those hands. I love them. I love you!
You are amazing with your hands. Your hands never rest, they know how to do many things and they are your hands and that makes them beautiful! Love you girl!
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