**this is pretty long...just warning ya ;)
Preconceived notions, assumptions, judgments etc can get you in trouble. In elementary school they called it judging a book by its cover. Looking on the outside to form your opinions instead of getting to knowing a person, stepping into their life and out of your comfort zone to see and understand who they are can hurt others and yourself.
As a Christian, rejecting someone with a rough exterior or a past that you think is too 'unforgivable', letting stereotypes or even racial, cultural and socioeconomic differences not only keeps you from being a light of Christ to that person, but it can also keep them from being a light of Christ to you. In the same way, holding up someone who appears to have it all together can hurt as well if they mess up and you just don't understand how someone like that could do something like that. Or you don't understand how someone like you could do something like that. Then you don't understand that none of us are truly good and it's only the gospel that allows us to be in good standing with God and the Holy Spirit in our lives that will direct our steps.
I say all this to say that on Saturday night I fulfilled a 16 year long dream and got a tattoo! I know there are some people out there who will automatically think WHAT I never would have guessed she'd do that! I know there are people out there who will automatically jump to certain conclusions when they see a person with one, two, three, MANY tattoos covering their body. The same way some people look at a single mom, or a person of a another race or a democrat even and jump to conclusions. I'm not saying any of you reading this are those people but it's still something to think and pray about to see others with the Love of Christ.
So here's my tattoo story (or tat or ink or whatever the cool people call it.)
For a really really long time I've wanted one, but never knew what I would want to get, so I just tucked it into the back of my head. I was pretty sure I wanted it to be a bible verse or something but wasn't sure which one.
Fast forward to two years ago and I was reading somewhere (it couldn't have been in my bible because it was NKJV and I don't own that) and came across Isaiah 26:3
You will keep him in perfect peace,
Whose mind is stayed on You,
Because he trusts in You.
And I knew that was the one. It was encouraging to me and it would be encouraging to anyone who saw it permanently fixed on me and asked what it said. I tend to stress...a lot. and worry...a lot. and let things overwhelm me...a lot. But when my mind is truly stayed on my Savior and my God I am at peace because I am totally relying on Him and not myself.
So once I picked a verse and once I drew out my idea of how I wanted it to look, I decided that the tattoo would be my 30th birthday to myself. Except, that on my 30th birthday I gave myself Logan instead and you can't get a tattoo while you're pregnant or nursing so there you go.
About a month or so ago Steph looked at me and said ok here's what I think. We need to get babysitters and go get this thing done soon. So we had it all planned. She drew up this adorable design, we made plans to shop in the afternoon and get babysitters so the boys to join us at night. Leslie was already going to be downtown at a class so she could come too. It was all ready to go until Evie girl got sick and we had to cancel the shopping. I was ready, prepared and then all of a sudden the plans changed and my mind started to freak. Was this a sign?
After crying to my husband and letting him know my thoughts and almost calling to cancel my appointment, he in his most adorably comforting way smiled and said "I think you need to do it." So we picked up Steph and Leslie and headed out to
Thirteen Roses which was recommended to us by some friends.
Sitting in the waiting room was crazy fun. There were photos and drawings all over the walls, books and books of huge intricate tattoos on all different parts of people. I mean all I wanted was a little thing on my foot and I had to keep pushing out the thought that I was positive that the artists there were mocking my blonde goody goody looking self behind closed doors. Much like ladies at nail salons.
Unfortunately the design Steph had worked up wasn't very tattooable so she and the tattooer artist guy drew up some mock ups. After rejecting a very west coast chopper version, they both ended up coming up with very similar designs that was going to be the size I wanted (read NOT HUGE!) and feminine. I ended up going with his because they were almost identical and his was ready to go and I was getting a bit jittery and wanted to get on with it!
He made a special copy that could be transferred to my foot as a guide and we got to it. Thankfully they weren't busy and Zach, Leslie and Steph were able to come in with me. It took about 10 minutes and done.
And I LOVE IT!
Here are some things I learned from my experience...
*When your oldest two children ask you why you're leaving and where you're going and you tell them the truth and then ask them what they think, your oldest will say it's weird and your middle will ask if he can get one too.
*If you have children and you want your husband to come with you then you'll have to get a babysitter. This might be the oddest thing you get a babysitter for but nonetheless it'll have to happen. Furthermore, telling your babysitter you're going to get a tattoo when she asks where you're going definitely wins you cool points.
*If you have ever birthed a child (with or without an epidural) and felt at least one MAJOR contraction then you're good. A tattoo is no match for hours of labor or even postpartum recovery for that matter.
*The noise is the worst part. Seriously the worst! However, if you plug your ears with your fingers and hum RUF songs to yourself then there's no worries. This also works if you hate scary movies but are forced to watch one due to peer pressure. Believe me I know!
*If you bring two of your best friends with you it automatically becomes a fun girl night and you will know they love you enough to hang out in a tattoo parlor.
*If you get a tattoo your husband will think you're awesome and will start wanting one himself so that his wife is not cooler and more awesome than he is.
*We all have something that clouds are view of God. That gets in our way of seeing Him in our lives. That makes our minds shift elsewhere instead of being focused on Him at every moment of every day. It can be physical things in others, the exterior, or it can be interior things in ourselves like doubt, unbelief, and fear. Hopefully a little ink on a person's body will no longer be one of those ;)
(credits...the thoughts were inspired by Zach's YoungLife talk Monday night and by the seminar we recently attended focusing on understanding our worldview)
