How God Used A Faux Nail and Energy Balls to Teach Me A Valuable Lesson

Here’s a funny little story about what God taught me through a batch of energy balls—also known as “power balls,” as my sweet husband likes to call them—and an incident with my faux nails. I know, sounds weird, right? You’re probably lost already. But trust me and bear with me—it’ll all make sense.

For the past few weeks, I had been wrestling with my sense of insufficiency—particularly in areas where I feel I fail. One of those areas is cooking. Can you relate? Be honest now. And if I’m being totally transparent, I also struggle with the sin of envy—wanting to be more like my sisters in Christ: better cooks, more knowledgeable in the Word, gifted singers, courageous… you get the picture. But that’s a story for another day.

Back to the nail and power balls. One night, after preparing this so-called healthy dessert to take to my friend’s house the next day, I suddenly realized that one of my faux nails was missing! Gasp! I immediately pictured some poor, unsuspecting friend biting into one of these treats… crunch! Ewwww. How gross! “Mortified” doesn’t even begin to describe it. I couldn’t sleep at all that night. I didn’t have enough ingredients to redo them, and I didn’t have extra time to make them the next day. I was beside myself.

This led me to prayer—deep prayer.
My conversation with God went something like this:
“Oh God, I know these are just snacks, and in the grand scheme of life, this doesn’t mean much. But I will not be bringing these to our gathering tomorrow unless You bring that nail to me so I know it’s not in the dessert. Otherwise, I’ll just make another batch with whatever ingredients I have left—even though it won’t be as good as the first ones.”

But deep down, I didn’t want to make a batch that wasn’t as good. That’s when God made me realize I was being prideful—acting like they were some kind of gourmet masterpiece or something! Pssss. Who did I think I was? If I’m being honest, I was also seeking approval—trying to compensate for my insecurities.

Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with the humble is wisdom.”
Galatians 1:10 says, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man?”

The next morning, just before heading out to church, I decided there was no point in making a second batch that wouldn’t be as good as the first. So I resolved not to make it—nor bring the first batch. Then, to top it off, my husband unintentionally humiliated me at church by telling a few people the funny story of the missing faux nail. That sealed it. I was definitely not bringing those energy balls.

But God—of course—had a lesson for me.
After that embarrassing moment, my pastor just happened to preach on 2 Corinthians 8:1–9 and how true generosity is measured by completeness, not just by good intentions. (Talk about getting hit between the eyes.) I’m pretty sure God was trying to tell me something.

Okay, so maybe Paul wasn’t writing to the Corinthians about snacks—but it spoke directly to where my heart was in that moment. I was prideful about one “amazing” platter of power balls (ridiculous, I know), and I felt so insufficient that I didn’t want to bring anything else. I was literally thinking what Pastor Dan said we shouldn’t think: “It’s the thought that counts.” Yeah, no. I was about to take the easy way out and not stress about it. That was my attitude—until that sermon. God really used it to expose my heart.

Feeling convicted after realizing my sinful ways, I got home and decided,
“Alright, Lord. I’ll make another batch. Even if it’s not as good, at least it will be nail-free.”

I proceeded to chop the nuts in the food processor, reached for my bag of dates and—voilà! THE NAIL.

How good is our God? At that moment, I realized that God listens to our prayers—whether big or small. It gave me chills, and I literally cried. He made me realize that He cares about our anxieties, even in the little things.

Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known to God.”
1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.”

Again, I know that Pastor Dan’s message on 2 Corinthians 8:1–9 wasn’t about snacks. And it would be silly to think his sermon was written just for my little moment. But I’m learning—by God’s amazing grace—that even in the small things, if I bring them to God first, I can look back and see how He is teaching me.

After the Women’s Conference the previous week, and after reading a portion of the All-Sufficiency book, God showed me how my failures do not define me. Christ is sufficient for all things in life.

2 Corinthians 12:9 says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Even in my failures and insufficiencies, God is at work. Since then, I’ve learned that what matters most is that I contribute from the heart. It doesn’t have to be perfect. In this case, starting over with a less flavorful batch would have been okay, too. I don’t need to seek attention or approval. We give, we help, we participate—with hearts full of love—not for praise.

2 Corinthians 9:7 says, “Each one must give as he has decided in his heart, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.”

So thank you, Pastor Dan, for your commitment to expository preaching—whether book by book, verse by verse, or topical. God is using you. We are listening.