Saturday, October 30, I had to most horrifying experience in the world. I broke a nail so bad that I lost half of my nail bed. Ladies, if you are like me, who has not gone without getting my nails done in over 20 years, you understand the devastation I suffered. Some of my friends have never seen me without my nails done. That's how intense it is for me. Even during the lock-down of 2020, I found a nail kit and did my own nails. I ended up with a fungus on one nail but hey..at least my nails looked cute.
Now you know this blog is about more than me breaking my nail. I can't be that vain about my nails, or can I? I forgot to tell you how I did it. I was putting on hand sanitizer and I jammed my nail into the steering wheel. I don't curse but I almost said a 26 letter curse word! My first reaction was to call 911 but I called my nail tech instead. She heard the distress in my voice and told me I could come in that day! Thank you Jesus!
I had an event to go to and ya'll it was hard for me to drive there with one finger sticking up. I know everyone I passed thought I was giving them the finger. I couldn't turn the car correctly and I knew my passenger was worried for her life. We made it safely and I managed to enjoy the event. Before I walked in, I remembered to put my finger down. No sense walking into a event like a gang member, throwing signs.
As soon as the event was over, I dropped my friend off safely at her house and I headed to the nail salon. No, I didn't drive over the speed limit. I took some back roads that got me there faster. I was so happy to see that no one was in my Queen of Nail Tech client chair when I got to the nail salon. My dear talented friend went to work right away, causing me more pain. She had to get what was left of the old acrylic off. It felt like I was giving birth. Well I guess that what it felt like. I have never had a baby, but I almost did that day. While she was inflicting pain, she told me that the owner of the shop had passed away. I could see her eyes turn red behind her mask. He had been her boss for eleven years. She explained how she was still in shock and couldn't believe he was gone.
In the 10 years I had been going to the nail salon, I noticed that Don wasn't a friendly man. He usually grunted and spoke half sentences to himself as he gathered up the nail polish. His English wasn't good but his money chasing skills were. That man would have had that shop opened 24 hours if he could. If you walked in the door and then walked right back out, he would chase you down in the parking lot and beckon for you to come back. He didn't believe in missing not one dollar. He and his wife worked side by side for years. It had to be hard for her. to work without him next to her. I looked around the shop and seen her doing a pedicure. I don't know how she managed to work without breaking down. My heart went out to her for her loss.
As I sat there, the pain from the broken nail faded away but not the pain that had settled around my heart. I begin to wonder if Don went to heaven. I know he worshipped Buddha because he had a statue near his station. According to the Bible, you must accept Jesus as your Savior in order to be saved. John 14:66 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Without accepting Jesus there is no access to the Father. There was a possibility that Don missed heaven. I grieved for the loss of not a life but a soul.
My nail tech said Don had a heart attack and died right away. I thought about the many times I had been in his shop. Not once did I try to figure out a way to tell him about Jesus. I had witnessed to my nail tech but not him. This man that walked around grumbling and being rude, had a soul that needed to be saved. I am not saying he went to hell but what if he didn't accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior? Then hell would be his final resting place. How sad to live your life worshipping a false God, then you die and find out, that the God you worshipped was only a statue and that you missed your chance to be in heaven.
I read an Instagram post that said, 70% of Christians believed that you can worship other gods and still go to heaven. The god of this world have blinded the very elect. The Bible tells us that anything that draws us away from Jesus is not of God. God is a jealous God. Exodus 20:3-You shall have no other gods before Me. God commands us to have no other god before him. My dear reader, learn the Word of God for yourself. People are out here teaching what people want to hear. "You can live any way you want, just ask forgiveness" God tells us to repent (turn from) of our sins. Acts 3:19 I could you tell you so many untruths that people believe, but if you KNOW the Bible, then you know what is true or not. God gave us the Bible so that we can know the truth. No, I think, I believe, but the Bible says this true or not! You can't go with what the crowd wants because the Word of God doesn't scratch the ears of the hearers, it pierces the heart. 2 Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.
I share this story because it made me aware of lost souls that we encounter every day and we don't share the love of Christ with them. There are so many ways to witness to people. Candy with scripture wrappers or Chick Books. Chick books are tracts with a cartoon story that educate you about the Word of God and offer the reader salvation. Someone had put one on my car when I wasn't saved. Do you know I kept that little book for years until I was saved? I would pull it out and read it and think, this is too easy. I just have to believe on Christ and be saved? Every time I read it, seeds were being planted in my heart. These books taught me a lot about the Bible and they come in different languages. Leave them on cars, bathrooms or give them out. It is time for us to win souls to Christ. The website is chick.com.
After I left the salon, I went and purchased a card and a rose. I wrote in the card about Jesus being Lord and gave it to his wife. I placed the rose on Don's station with his other flowers. I may have missed my opportunity to share Christ with Don but I didn't want to miss that opportunity with his wife.
Until Next Time,
Your Favorite Ruby Girl