Tatted up for the Lord

Ok so I know what you're thinking.

I mean I don't know exactly what you're thinking, but I can take a wild guess and say you are a bit confused by the title. Well, let me shed some light on that and start out by saying that I have a tattoo.

It's a massive snake running down the back of my spine...

Just kidding.

It is most definitely not a snake but to each their own. In all seriousness, I have a little black pineapple on the inside of my right ankle. ------------------------->

I think, in today's society. people look at tattoos and automatically place you in one of four categories.

1. You were young and dumb, and you regret it...maybe.

2. Why not?! Seemed cool and fun, so you just did it!

3. You are in a gang. Yep. That symbol on your forearm defiantly seems thuggish.

4. This is one of the most meaningful things you could to represent a loved one or symbolize something significant in your life.

Now, these are not all of the typecast categories, just the ones that I hear or see a lot about. And guess which one I fall into?

#4. That's me. That little pineapple represents so much, and only I know it unless you ask.

Oh, this is you asking? Well, my story starts with the south. Born and raised in the great southern state of Texas I have a heart for the state and its symbols.

"The rise of the pineapple as a symbol of hospitality in Colonial times no doubt came about because of its rarity. Two things worked together to solidify the pineapple’s reputation as a status symbol: sparse supply and high demand. The ability of a hostess to have a pineapple adorn her dining table for an important event said as much about her rank in society as it did about her ingenuity. These beautiful fruits were in such high demand, but so hard to get, that colonial confectioners would often rent them to households by the day." -Patricia S. York (Southern Living)

So essentially, pineapples represent hospitality. Now if you read my first post (wink wink), you would have noticed that my family lives out their lives, and ministry, through hospitality. It has been a major defining factor in my life and still is to this day. Those influences brought about a list. If I was ever to get a tattoo, it had to meet my 3 requirements.

1. I had to think about it for a year, and if I still wanted it, it was plausible.

2. It had to have meaning. A meaning that only I would know and if someone were to ask I could tell them my story and hopefully spark up a Jesus convo.

3. And three, I had to tell my parents. No matter my age. They had to know, and at least understand.

Those were my conditions and as I checked them all off the fantasy of piercing my skin became more of a reality.

Summer 2018 two of my friends and I went to a tattoo parlor in Dallas, TX and I walked out with a fresh pineapple. I sometimes forget its even there, but I don't regret it at all.

A couple weeks ago a coworker asked me about it and it opened up a door for me to share the word with her. For me getting a tattoo meant finding another way to share Jesus and tell others about what he has done in my life. Now that's not to say that every tattoo is fantastic and not a "bad mistake" but, it's fun to have another tool under my belt. A tool that might get a conversation started with the unlikeliest of people and who knows...they could turn out to be a best friend and brother/sister in Christ.