I’ve always wanted a tattoo.
I think they’re cool and edgy. I wanted one that was small but meaningful—something to remind me of Christ’s love and goodness. Something to point me back to the cross I so easily forget. So why haven’t I gotten one? Besides my middle-aged wrinkles not making a very nice backdrop,
I can’t decide on one word.
I usually read a chapter in the Bible a few times through each morning. The first time through, I get a feel for the passage. The second time, I look for a word or phrase I can carry with me throughout the day instead of forgetting what I read five minutes later. The third time—though often frustrated by the inefficiency of this process—I usually stop and ask the Lord to give me whatever word He already knows I’ll need in the day ahead.
The words that stand out can range from hope-filled to “Huh??” Sometimes obvious words stand out, like “exalted” or “held.” Other times it’s strange phrases like, “a field of lentils” (2 Samuel 23:11) or “a dead dog” (1 Samuel 24:14). But in the way only the Holy Spirit can, even the most unusual words have helped me with a difficult decision or discussion I’ve had to navigate that day.
The only problem with this? Besides how time consuming it can be trying to discern what the Lord’s highlighting, I cannot “recycle” today’s word, tomorrow. Each day, I need help in a different way, with a different word or phrase,
That only God knows.
Despite my inability to choose one word to have tattooed on my person, I’ve come up with a compromise. Each day, I write the word or phrase that stands out from Scripture using a temporary tattoo pen. The ink gradually fades throughout the day, making room for a new word tomorrow. And while it may not feel quite as cool or edgy as a real tattoo, God gives me what I need. And in His love, He’ll do it again tomorrow because as the Bible and my fake tattoos remind me,
His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:23)