I enjoy getting my nails done for special occasions.

When I realized that the trend was to get a dip powder manicure, I thought I would give it a try. I began combing through pics for the perfect color and finally found one I could show to the technician. I planned to ask for a french ombre – where the color goes from pink to white.

I just couldn’t wait to see the final product!

Having been in nail salons before, I figured I knew what to expect. That was until I sat down and began the process.

My nails were prepped. A base coat was applied. Then, each of my nails was dipped into colored powder. Honestly, it didn’t look pretty. In fact, it didn’t look like the pic I showed. I began to feel anxious and asked the technician about it. She encouraged me to just wait because the process wasn’t done yet.

My nails were dipped into the powder a second time. I began to have doubts. Maybe this trend wasn’t for me. Maybe this technician didn’t know what she was doing.

My nails were dipped into the powder a third time. I couldn’t see the look I wanted. I was angry at myself for wasting my time and money.

The technician shaped and filed my nails. I was relieved to see that at least the shape was how I imagined it.

Finally, she applied a topcoat. I couldn’t believe what my eyes gazed upon. My nails looked exactly like the pic I showed! They were so beautiful!! In fact, I was so happy that I have been getting my nails done this way since.

As trivial as this experience of mine may sound, what I realized is how this mimics my response to life experiences.

I had picture-perfect visions of what it would look like to be a social worker, a wife, a mom, then, a stay-at-home mom, and a homeschool teacher … to name a few. As I began the process in each of those areas, I encountered moments where I struggled with fear, anxiety, doubt, and anger. In those moments, I just wanted to quit.

The process wasn’t pretty.
The process was taking too long.
The process didn’t seem to capture the beautiful picture I had in mind.