It's Hard to be Royalty...

I am a total girl.

I like to dress up, wear make-up, get my hair done,

paint my nails, wear jewelry and be pampered.

The same things every normal princess likes.

So it's a sad occasion when I break a nail.

 Most often it's a pretty significant break,

leaving no hope for rescue and

I have no choice but to clip and file the nail.

 Sometimes the nail just gets a little crack on the side.

Then I do what any other royal would do,

I file it and put on nail polish.

Maybe I can save it!

 But typically the result is still the same.

Eventually the nail will completely break

and I have to clip it anyway.

 Well, I just broke a nail.

I know, you would have never guessed.

 This made me think of something beyond

simply breaking a nail.

 Sometimes we break.

Just when we are growing beautifully

we run into problems and get broken.

Sometimes it is our own carelessness that causes the break.

Other times it is out of our control.

Either way, we are still broken.

 If we allow the Lord to step in,

chip away the rough spots and shape us,

we can become even stronger than before.

 And while it may not be pretty,

it is still necessary to ensure proper growth.

If we are patient, we will see our progress

and find joy in our success.

 So the next time I break a nail, I will clip it, file it

and lean on the Lord for support to get me through

the heartache.

 After all, it is quite devestating to a princess,

when she breaks a nail.