Thursday, February 6, 2014

A manicure

Do notice the artistic sparkly blue nails as I elegantly pour home brewed tea into this delicate hexagonal Chinese teacup.  
My brother got me a manicure and pedicure for Christmas.  This being my first experience with such fine care on my hands and feet I was delighted to see how clean and sparkly and fresh my hands and toes could look. I had a dream that it was chipping off, and upon sharing this with my husband, he said he'd do the dishes for me until the nails were looking old.  Good deal! 
However, this manicure experience reminding me of something else.  If you don't mind me stretching a metaphor a bit, I'd like to share this thought.  


Manicures are a telling analogy for spending time with my family over Christmas. 
I came home ragged looking and feeling. 
I was overwhelmed by the abundance of care I was given. 
I was buffed and scratched a bit by the closeness of living with others...old habits returning all too fast.
There was a little scraping and cutting away of those fleshly reactive tendencies as well. 
But soothing oils of sharing memories, home-cooked meals, and laughter washed over the rough spots. 
The choices came in a flood and my mind swirled at how many wonderful people I could spend time with.  They were the color of my days...my nieces and nephew, my parents, my siblings and their spouses, and dear life-long friends all ready to share and walk with us during our short time there. 
The choices I made while there left me sparkly...feeling refreshed. 
I have been battered and I have been renewed, and I'm so thankful for how all of this pleasure cost me very little...just being with them. 
Thank you, my family, for the manicure, for loving me, for taking such good care. 




No comments:

Post a Comment

Collaboration, vulnerabity and trust

From Tuesday through Thursday, leaders of 24 Bible Translation organizations have gathered to discuss how we can work together more intenti...