PW confession... I have a tattoo

“The mind of man plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.” 

–Proverbs 16:9 

I have a tattoo. Insert gasp here____________.

Yes, I know. It’s scandalous. Just ask my poor mama. She barely survived the shock of it. 

I was ‘old’ when I got my tattoo. Like 30’s old. 

We were on vacation with our dear friends Dave & April, just before they left overseas on the mission field for the first time. As every time we get together, there are deep spiritual conversations intermingled with insane laughter, which is obviously the reason why we are the closest of friends. During this precious week, the subject came up about the crazy way God seems to work in our lives & how no matter what types of plans we make, His plan prevails. This of course led to our digging out our Bibles, reading these truths out loud to each other & eventually to our deciding to get tattoos to commemorate our friendship & to proclaim God’s Word over our lives. By “our” I mean the Hubs, Dave & April; who already had several tattoos to their name.Up till this moment... I did not.

By the time we got to the tattoo shop, I had decided ‘no pressure’ that I was going to get one too. Partly because I didn’t want to be left out of the fabulous foursome but mostly because I believe in the verse they had chosen. The truth of it has played itself out in my own life time & time again. 

I love my tattoo… it’s a little swoopy cross on my lower back with Proverbs 16:9 scripted underneath. This verse reminds me of what I love & what scares me the most about God.

“Life is but a Weaving”

“My life is but a weaving
Between my God and me.
I cannot choose the colors
He weaveth steadily.

Oft’ times He weaveth sorrow;
And I in foolish pride
Forget He sees the upper
And I the underside.

Not ’til the loom is silent
And the shuttles cease to fly
Will God unroll the canvas
And reveal the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful
In the weaver’s skillful hand
As the threads of gold and silver
In the pattern He has planned

He knows, He loves, He cares;
Nothing this truth can dim.
He gives the very best to those
Who leave the choice to Him.”

-Corrie ten Boom (the Tapestry Poem)