Tattoos. My thoughts on this matter have developed over decades. I used to be someone who believed tattoos were wrong--even...sinful. But now, I have found them to be a source of great joy in my life.
Let me be clear. I believe the meaning behind a tattoo is paramount. I would not want something on my skin that carried an anti-God message, however subtly. I happen to also believe that tattoos are one way of telling the story of our lives--what matters to us. What, as Marie Kondo would say, "sparks joy."
Tattooing was banned in Leviticus because people were cutting their flesh in reverence to the dead--essentially participating in ancestral worship. I posit that honoring someone who is no longer here with a tattoo is completely different. When I get a tattoo, I am not engaging in self-inflicted pain. I am not carving my skin. I am enduring a small discomfort, at the hands of a professional, in order to display something beautiful that speaks both to my soul and of my soul. My tattoos are unique to me, and therefore a reflection of the individual God made me to be--the one whom He chose before the creation of the world, because He loves me (see Ephesians 1:4).
Because I have a close relationship with a God who loves me, I believe I can rely on the Holy Spirit to let me know if I am walking a path of destruction. Admittedly, I've done some destructive things in my 50 years on this planet--but tattooing would not be one of them.
I remember that one of the first things I learned about owls was that they represent wisdom. And so my first tattoo, of a turquoise owl, stands out as a "think first" image when I consider a tattoo I want to bear on my flesh. I want to use wisdom with such choices because they are permanent and should be contemplated and decided upon soberly.
Other tattoos represent huge facets of who I am--those things that are such a part of me I couldn't get away from them if I tried--being a teacher, being a writer, being a mom. My most recent piece was designed by my son, so it's precious to me in that regard--but also because it represents the beauty of my parents and the relationship I had with them. They reside in Heaven now, but every time I see the artwork I think of them. And I believe that's a very healthy thing.
Two of my tattoos feature Scriptures from Romans that have come to mean a great deal to me in my journey with Jesus--Romans 8:28, which says "All things work together for good for those who love God" and Romans 8:38-39, "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." These aren't simply flow-y sounding verses I picked--they have been proven true to me over and over; they are some of my most meaningful life verses.
Maybe I'm going through "a phase" (four years in now); maybe I'm experiencing a "mid-life crisis." Maybe I'm showing the effects of an "addictive personality." But if any of those be the case, I'm in a phase of authenticity and self-expression; I'm having a crisis of creativity, as I determine size, shape, color, and form--the process birthing that which I had only first imagined into permanent reality, tangible art; and I'm addicted to making beautiful, visually evocative statements about the life I have lived thus far.
Not everyone would do what I've done. For many, one tattoo is enough--mission accomplished. But for me, tattoos have caused me to feel a greater sense of freedom to be me--to reveal the many facets of me, as it were.
Some women get their nails done. Some women spend hundreds on hair maintenance. Some women go crazy at the fabric store. Some take up every nook and cranny in the house with books. Some pour their energy into physical fitness--joining health clubs and sweating in spandex. Me? I get tattoos.
Four years ago, I couldn't have envisioned that such joy would come upon me as the result of a simple, bespectacled owl. But I'm glad it did. I'm not yet sure at what point I'll be "done" getting tattoos, but I will certainly enjoy the adventure. After all, this earthly body will one day pass away. I intend to make the most of the canvas I've been given--and hopefully inspire others in the process.
Still going to Heaven. Still living for Jesus. Just living a little louder than before.
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