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Steering is published monthly by Overseas Evangelical Mission, Copyright 2000

Nails

A few months ago, while I attended a conference in Maryland, my hostess took me out to dinner. While walking through the mall, we saw an open store full of people receiving manicure and pedicure treatments.

Oh! It was a 'Nails' store mostly operated by Vietnamese shop owners. I had seen this kind of stores in other cities, but their doors were always shut, so my imagination told me that they must be very expensive and especially for beauty lovers who polish their fingernails, or even wear picturesque artificial nails. Suddenly, I had an idea.

I had always associated these stores with treatments for hands, I had never thought of treatments for toes. Toenail cutting has always been a hard chore for me all these years. First, I can't bend over because my stomach gets in the way. Also, I need to wear bifocals to see my toes, so I have to adjust the focus by pushing the glasses up and down over my nose. Then, my legs get cramps from bending too long. So, everytime my toenails grew long, I became worried. I tried to choose a day when I felt strong and also reminded myself to shower longer beforehand so the toenails would be soft.

My family doctor had suggested that I go to a podiatrist, as he could give me a prescription for trimming every six weeks due to my status as a senior citizen and cardiac patient. However, I truly didn't want to add another doctor to the many I see already. Several young people from the churches wanted to help me too. I thanked them for their loving care, however, I didn't want to depend on friends for this kind of lifelong chore.

Now, standing in front of the nail store, we saw many people inside, which indicated the price must be very reasonable, so we went in and inquired about toenail cutting. The price was $8.00 and I only needed to wait for 15 minutes to have my turn.

That day I got my toenails cut and the girl charged me only five dollors, so maybe my toenails were not so hard to cut at all. I gratefully tipped her $1.00.

I told my hostess, as we left the store, that I hoped there would be a store like that in Hawaii. In the meantime, I prayed to God for some Vietnamese shop owners who would have the insight to open such a store in this tourist city.

Five weeks later, I returned home to Hawaii, unpacked and took some garments to the dry cleaner. Right there, in the same small market place, I saw a 'Nails' sign on one of the stores. I went in and got the information I sought: $5.00 to cut toenails, no need to make appointments.

Hallelujah! I shouted in my heart. My Lord is so merciful and He cares for me in such detail. The store is only two miles from my home.

Now, when I see my toenails growing, I am not worried anymore. Instead, I praise the Lord for His grace reaches even to my toes.