Going Scared - With A Fresh Manicure
Counting our fears on our freshly Alpine Snow painted fingers
Does spring actually make you want to clean anything? I’ve never fully understood the “spring cleaning” mindset. Do I want to pull my fridge out and clean behind it? No. No, I do not. I’m fairly certain there are still Oreo balls from Christmas inside my fridge somewhere. It’s like I don’t even see them anymore. They exist in the void against the back wall.
But you know what spring does make me want to do? Pull out the ol nail polish tray.
What To Know
A few weeks ago, I went to do one of my favorite things: Get a pedicure. A book, a massage chair that is slightly assaulting and the quiet tension of wondering what they think of my feet. The perfect combination for relaxation.
Anywho, I had picked a soft green. It spoke to me/I was tired of looking the overwhelming wall of options. The technician goes to paint and, wouldn’t you know it, the color was a bit too light - barely showed up. She let me know she was going to grab a similar green to the pastel I had chosen. And if she didn’t roll back up and start painting with a green that looked color matched to a Masters Jacket. It was AGGRESSIVELY green. “Is this okay?” she asked. “Oh, yeah, absolutely.” I said, while inwardly yelling that it’s, in fact, not okay.
So, currently, I sit here typing with toe nails painted a color of green that would match the greenway at your local golf course. But, thanks to NOTM Beauty Contributor, Sarah, our polish woes are coming to an end.
My Minimalist Nail Color Arsenal
We’ve all been there, right? You walk into the nail salon and hear those three daunting words…“Choose a color.”
The next 10 stressful minutes are spent flipping through the never ending color choices, only to look down at your hands two days later and realize you hate the color you chose.
A few years ago I realized that for my minimalist self, nail color wasn’t where I wanted the adventure in my life. I wanted to stick with what I knew. And from that decision came my foolproof nail color rotation. I’ve given each color an assigned season, but really you can mix and match these OPI shades all year round and never be disappointed (or bored!).
Spring || Funny Bunny or Alpine Snow: The perfect, creamy whites that never turn yellow.
Summer || Cajun Shrimp: A pop of color with a fun twist on a classic red nail.
Fall || Krona-logical Order: A tried and true neutral that goes with anything and everything.
Winter || Lincoln Park After Dark: Not-quite-black-but-not-quite-purple. Bold and dark to match the winter months.
Okay, though. For real. Who gets to name nail polishes? Well, I Googled it because we can’t live in this kind of uncertainty. Turns out, it IS a person’s full-time job. And she can name them whatever the heck she wants (i.e. My Chihuahua Bites). I now only have more questions.
What To Ignore
Comfort.
You know when you’re about to do something out of your norm? Something new-to-you? And you feel like your stomach is bottoming-out? Your heart rate picks up slightly? And the option of vomiting is for sure on the table.
That’s what going scared feels like. That’s what going in faith feels like.
On this week’s episode, my friend Brooke Phillips, talked about starting a business - in spite of - her fear. She had no degree for what she was interested in, just a desire. She didn’t have a full list of contacts, just some friends who believed in her. Here’s a small part of what she said:
“I had someone tell me, and I am so glad someone told me this, she said, ‘Brooke, you will never grow unless you're willing to do something that scares you to death every day.’
So I got my journal and I wrote down things that scared me. Sometimes it was just a text, stepping out to ask someone for coffee. Sometimes it was to make a pitch to a company I don’t know. Other times it was a small investment. For three years, I did something in faith - every day. Something that scared me. Growth is in going scared.”
I’ve thought a lot about this lately. Comfort. I crave it. I told Ryan, just the other night, I finally understand the Israelites in the wilderness. They were so ticked at Moses. Even with God - visibly - before them and behind them, leading them…they still wanted to go back.
When you go scared, when you go on faith - every day presents an opportunity to back out. To throw it in reverse. Because at least back there, you knew what was expected of you. You knew your role. You knew what had to happen. When you woke up, there was a clear path to follow. The path might have been miserable, literally back-breaking - but it came with less uncertainty. Less…wandering.
We want to know where the Promised Land is.
We want to know what’s in the Promised Land for us.
We want to know specific instructions to the Promised Land.
But really, what God invites us into is an unwavering confidence in the Promised Land.
It exists. And you will see it.
What God has promised you…it’s real.
He has never - in thousands and thousands of years - broken a promise.
He won’t start with you.
And in case you need a reminder, God promises to…
Strengthen you. (Ephesians 3:14-16)
Give you rest. (Matthew 11:28-30)
Meet all of your needs. (Philippians 4:19)
Answer each prayer. (Matthew 7:7)
Work everything out for your good and His glory. (Romans 8:28)
To be with you. (Joshua 1:5, 9)
To protect you. (Psalm 91:2)
Freedom from sin. (1 John 1:9, John 8:36)
To never separate you from Him. (Romans 8:38-39)
There are over 3,000 promises in Scripture. And He has never failed. Not one of them.
What are you afraid of? List your fears. And see how they hold up against God’s promises.
Go scared.
What To Try
No Socials Saturday.
I say it like it’s a widely known sentiment. Really it’s just my 2022 thing. Sometimes, these platforms can make me feel some kind of way: either less than or greater than. And neither produces fruit of the spirit.
On Saturdays, I shut em down. Really, just to remind and reset myself around grace. Grace for myself. Grace for others.
I withhold it - on both counts - a little too often, if I’m honest.
Intentionality matters.
We are showing up. We are growing. We are changing.
And even when it doesn’t always feel good, when you’re in pursuit of Jesus - it can only be good.
Here’s to the good story He’s writing.
