Etched deep in my heart is a humble gratefulness for the death and resurrection of Jesus that rescues me daily from my depraved nature and the destruction it could bear. Anything good or likable in me is there because God has redeemed me and compels me to attempt to honor him with my life. Trust me when I tell you that very little "good" comes naturally in me.
The dogwood blossom is a beautiful reminder to me of God's love. In many places across the US the Easter season will not go by without these blossoms adorning the world. If you don't already know the legend of the Dogwood please look it up. While I don't know of any real facts to back it up it is a lovely story. I believe it was my mother that first shared the legend with me. I remember traveling to through east Texas with her and my grandmother one Spring and how we all just soaked up the beauty of these blossoms and the many others all around us. These flowers will forever remind me those two beautiful women.
The Chi-Rho is a symbol of Christ who's nail scars and blood purchased my salvation. I want there to be a clear sign to the people I meet that I belong to Christ. Behavior can be mistaken for some supposed inherent goodness. Words can't always be spoken and aren't always heard the way they are intended. Jewelry is cliche' and often trendy and weak. To me anyway, this tattoo is a stronger statement than anything else I do. I hope to use it to start conversations. I imagine my future grandchildren in my lap studying it and us talking about story of Jesus illustrated on my wrist.
Yes. This tattoo, beyond anything else that someone might assume, is deeply deeply meaningful to my heart. And the fact that the artist did such a lovely job makes my heart leap with joy because that too is a gift from God.
