a nail tale

My fingernails.  I love when they are grown out, neat, perfectly polished.  However, I live in the world of dishes, laundry, cleaning agents, children's baths...you get the idea.  About the time my nails are looking long and beautiful - breakage.  Usually too far back and very painfully.  But, when they are long, I am constantly saying how much I should go and get a manicure.  it's one of those "little things" that I like oh, so much.
Couple weeks ago, my nails were looking long and I kept thinking about how nice it would be to go and have them neatly filed and painted professionally (rather than by my 4 year old daughter).  But, never made an appointment, just thought about it...and mentioned aloud at least once in the presence of my fabulous husband.
Friday, fabulous husband comes home from work with an appointment card for me.  A manicure!  I smiled and said that I was so thankful.  So thoughtful that he went out of his way to make an appointment for me in person (because it's nearly impossible to make appointments over the phone, in French-speaking world).  I was so thankful, but...
Since the day I mentioned a manicure and the time the appointment was procured, my nails had taken a turn for the worse.  In fact, I only had one that could be considered even remotely long.  All short, all mismatchied, all snarly and ick.  I really, really, really wanted to cancel the appointment.  R.e.a.l.l.y!  However, number 1 - my husband was so thoughtful and I didn't want to crush his spirit (i mean, i wouldn't want him not to do such a thoughtful thing again) and number 2 - like I said before, it's so hard to make/cancel/reschedule anything over the phone and my appointment was for Monday morning, so there was no time to go in in person beforehand.
So yesterday I went to the salon, all ragged nailed.  I sat down and placed my ridiculously looking nails on the pillow on the table in front of the lovely gal (who had beauuuutiful nails btw).  She looked at them and smiled.  I am certain that if she could have communicated in English or if I could have communicated in French, she would have asked many questions about how my nails could be in such horrific condition.  But she couldn't and I couldn't, so off she went with her work (& a big job it would be)
I was there about an hour, not long.  And I left with amazing looking, very neat, crazy cute nails.  They're beautiful.  I love them.  She did such a great job in making my hands feel soft and my nails look great!
And because you're reading a post at 58°, you can nearly be certain this nail story is so much more than just a tale of my nails.
Question:
How often do I let the condition of my life as it currently is, determine whether I serve, give, do, be who God wants me to be?  Are there times when I say, "As soon as I get our families finances together, then we'll give generously"?  Or do I say, "let me just straighten out my bad habit or get rid of this nasty sin, then I'll gladly help that friend of mine who's struggling"?  And sometimes I have even been known to say, "I can't serve others because my life is in disaster mode too & what good would I be to them?"  Have I not opened the Word, spoken to the Lord, praised Him because I want to be "perfect" and "in order" first?  Do I try to fix myself up first, make it all pretty, work out all the "stuff" and then give to God?
But God wants us to come as we are.  All our flaws, all our weaknesses, all our struggles, all of us.  just the way we are.  It is impossible to "fix it all up" with out Him.   Come to Him and give it to Him.  He can work it out for His will, for His purpose.  It doesn't have to be perfect, it can't be perfect, for Him to use it. It is only through Him that we have the power to fix it all up.

 Just like my nails, bring yourself to Him in disarray, and He will make beauty from it.