Nails, Dresses and Changed Hearts

Blog post writtten by Lacey Ryan (17)
Newport Beach, CA

We had the opportunity to go to two girls' homes yesterday.  It was such a joy to help the girls find their dresses for the party in both homes.  I was able to paint the nails of one of the girls that I met in the first home.  She picked a bright red color.  I told her I loved the color and began to paint her nails. After I had painted all her fingers and her toes, she didn't wait a second before grabbing my hand. She smiled and signaled that she wanted to paint my nails.  I felt God place a thought in my head as she grabbed my hands: after the service I had shown to her, she wanted to thank me through the same service. Watching her brush each nail so carefully nearly made me cry.  Even when she got a little bit of paint on my skin, she quickly grabbed the nail polish remover to re-paint that nail.  It's so incredible to see the hearts these girls have. They have so little and yet when they are shown a service as small as a non-professional manicure, they immediately want to give back to show their gratitude.

In the second home the girl that I helped found a stunning blue dress. When I asked her if she wanted to look in the mirror, she told the translator that she only wanted my opinion. It warmed my heart to know how comfortable she felt with me. This may have been one of the first times that she had an opportunity to choose something for herself and she wanted my opinion instead of her own. If I thought she looked amazing, that was enough for her.  Wow.

This reminds me of the way we should think about our own lives. The only opinion we should truly care about is God's opinion. The great thing is, he already accepts us and loves us as we are. We don't need approval from the world to feel beautiful because we are His masterpiece and to Him we are perfect. I'm so grateful for the wonderful truths that He's showing me through this trip!