Mom, I Got A Tattoo!

I Got Tattoo!!!

Another main reason I got this tattoo was because of a little peer pressure, haha! On one of our last off days in India, our main contact, Paul, decides to have a guys day out. So Jared, Andrew, and I get into Paul's car in the morning and he says, "Well boys, todays the day! We're getting tatted up!" So he throws us a Bible and says, "You better find something good! Start searching!"

So the whole day off I'm antagonizing over what to get. I am such an indecisive person when it comes to things, especially when it comes to something permanent. Then we end up in this 4 story building with tons of shops, a muslim mosque at the top, a tattoo parlor, and a sketchy internet cafe. So the guys go to the internet cafe to work on the size and font of the tattoo they want. I also forgot to tell you that I'm a perfectionist, so trying to work on the artistic design of permanent ink on my own skin with a 10 year old computer running Windows 98 was not what I had in mind.

So eventually I end up backing out cause I wanted more time, but the rest of the guys go ahead. Andrew and Jared lose their tattoo virginity by both getting something on their left wrist. Andrew's says, "as He walked," and Jared's is a reference to Isaiah 6:8, "Here I am. Send me."

Nonetheless, I work on my design over the next few days and am finally set on what I want. Then another one of our contacts, Thelma, and I end up getting a tattoo together by this Thai guy near the ministry we've been helping out with all month. Throughout the whole experience I am telling myself, "I can't believe I'm actually doing this!" The 25 years leading up to this I never thought I would of been a person to get a tattoo, mostly cause I never knew what I wanted and if it would ever look good on me. But I'm glad I had friends around me who spurred me on and I'm also happy that I have a conversation starter forever printed on me.

I decided on my left wrist because it is my weaker hand and whenever I lay hands on someone to receive healing I want to make the statement that it is the Lord who is performing the miracle, not me. I am just the vessel, the bridge, the conduit. He is the Source, the Life, the Vine! It was definitely a crazy, slightly spontaneous, and exhilarating experience, but I'm totally stoked that I did it and it has already been a cool way to witness to Hindus and Muslims who can read Hindi. My life has always been a witness to the world, but now my body is too!