A tat for you?

Okay, my brother's best friend's brother... (did you follow that?) has a college math professor who every year teaches his students several equations that are vital to passing his class.  One of them, he goes so far as to joke with the students and tell them that they might as well tattoo it on their arm... it's that vital that they know it.  Well, Phillip did.... inside of one of the tattoos already on his arm.  It's not very noticible to the average person taking a quick glance, but useable, nonetheless.  When Phillip showed the professor, he was speechless.  He told Phillip that he'd been telling students that for 20 years and no one has ever done it.

My initial reaction was a smile and "wow..." but after I started thinking about it, over the last 20 years there probably weren't many college students with lots of tattoos as the "norm".  Sure, there were several who had a few small ones here and there- usually covered up but none you could hide the quadratic formula inside virtually unnoticed... on the forearm.

I was going to leave this subject alone, but when I heard this story, it really made me think.

I've heard it said that we live in a bubble here in Western Oklahoma... in a small farming community in the heart of the wheat belt and the heart of the Bible belt... i.e. I live in an area pretty sheltered by social norms of the big cities or the coasts.  Recently, my friend circle was in a discussion about tattoos and how we view them personally.  Several wanted to label them as sinful.  Others were okay with them, but would never get one themselves.  Some have one and have regretted it some later.  Some just didn't like them.  I can understand the regret; it's pretty much for life.  I can go with the "it's okay for you but not for me" thought, but I just can stand behind the belief that it's a sin.   Yes, I hear you.  I know it's in the Bible.  Leviticus 19:28 says Do not cut your bodies for the dead or put tattoo marks on yourselves. I am the LORD.  In this passage God is instructing the Israelites to refrain from pagan rituals of the people living around them at the time.  Did you realize that it also says just 9 verses earlier in verse 19 Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material. You know what that means don't you?  All of us wearing our 50/50 cotton/poly  blends are sinners, too, if we take every law handed down to the Israelites literally.  I'm sorry.  You can't pick and choose.  The good news is that we, Christians don't live under that law anymore.  Jesus came to fulfill the law and release us from the 613 Old Testament laws were part of God's plan to prove that we humans are unable to keep the law, laws, rules, etc.. on our own and therefore we needed a Savior.

Look at Gal 3:23-35 Before this faith came, we were held prisoners by the law, locked up until faith should be revealed. So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.

This Savior talked and taught about many subjects during his earthly ministry... even 9 of the 10 commandments (excluding the Sabbeth). Jesus' greatest two commandments were love your God... and love your neighbor as yourself... in knowing Jesus and loving Jesus, it would be assumed then that our intent would be to live to please him and serve him. In order to please and serve someone, one must know them very well to know how to choose for them. Therefore all his teachings would be learned to know his heart, personality, and preferences....I think we have a hard time with just following two rules that seem so easy. Actually they are so hard. It requires us to think every single day and act every single day. We must constantly be evaluating our actions objectively and making adjustments to keep God above all and everything else in balance.  That said, I do not believe that Jesus ever addressed tattoos or dismissed them.

But, because I live in this "bubble", honestly, seeing men and women who are heavily tattooed where it is highly visible still shocks me a little as do body piercings beyond earlobes.  I think it affects me this way because 1.  I'm trying so hard to act "normal", but  2.  I'm curious to look, and  3.  I'm wondering "why did this individual decide to do this?" all the while, 4.  trying not to pass judgment and 5.  not be discovered that I am initially uncomfortable because of the tattoos or piercings.  I know.  It sounds ridiculous, doesn't it?  I actually have a couple cousins who are normal, functioning people with lots of tattoos.  I have a male cousin with earrings who is also a completely normal heterosexual, and several of my friends have tattoos.  I also have a cousin in prison for murder and to my knowledge, he has no piercings or tattoos. 

So where do I stand on this subject?  Do I have one- no.  Do I consider it sin- no.  Do I want one- no.  Do I want my kids to get one- no, but it is my job as a parent to tell them that and then to give them all the information available to help them make an objective decision when the time comes. Times are changing everywhere outside my bubble, and slowly my bubble is being invaded by more and more social norms from across the country.  Inside my bubble, business owners still won't hire employees with visible tattoos and body piercing must be removed during working hours.  Inside my bubble, most locals still look down on these things and judge those with tattoos and body piercings as inappropriate or even as sinful.

Clothed in attitude

I read a short article by Greg Laurie the other day about Ruth Graham being in the hospital with her fourth hip replacement surgery and hearing the news that her beloved, Billy, was coming in to see her that morning.  The article interviewed Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of the Grahams.  Anne told of how Mrs. Graham got up from her wheelchair and asked Anne to help her put on a new dress and fix her hair and makeup.  The article went on to explain the love between the Grahams and the high priority  Mrs. Graham put on looking her best for her husband.  Then it starting urging wives to do the same today.  My first thought was "yeah!" and my very next was "how absurd....". 

For a woman in her "twilight" years as they described her, this was something women often did for their husbands.  (I assume.)  But today, I have friends that don't even own a dress.  I also have friends that won't generally leave the house without full make up and are horrified if you catch them at it.  I have friends that are so vain... who are always making statements like, "I'm so out of shape."  "I need to lose about 15 pounds."  "Oh my gosh, look at me... I look horrible."  Statements like this go in one ear and out the other for me, so I cannot imagine how tuned out their husbands are to these types of comments.  These are women that don't dress for their husbands, they dress for themselves and everyone else around them.  I have other friends that only wear oversized t-shirts and sweats or gym shorts... (elastic waistbands).  The self-esteem of these women is very low, too, much like that of the vain woman.  Yeah, yeah... I hear you loud and clear- comfort.  I don't buy it.  I just wish that these women could look in the mirror and see what God sees at this weight or this season of their lives.  He sees his very own masterpiece.  I wish every woman could go shopping with a professional stylist, much like Stacey London and Clinton Kelly on "What Not to Wear".  Time and time again you hear them saying to dress for the body you have right now, not for the one you wish you had...  God's idea of perfection is not a certain size or weight; it's the whole package.  I believe his idea of the perfect woman is one who is balanced. Women are beautiful creatures, but what makes us lovely?  I will tell you that it's not our individual features which we were born with but what we do with them and the attitude in which we occupy them.  There is nothing more lovely that a woman who loves herself and loves her husband... who is content in her heart and serves others.  People are attracted to her but not because of her outward beauty but because of her confidence and her attitude.  A balanced woman is completely comfortable and satisfied in her own skin and her attitude is that of love and gratitude.  So back to the original thought that triggered this line of thinking for me- I don't think a new dress and a little makeup can fix  the sour attitude so many women have.  Even a beauty queen is ugly with an attitude of a shrew.  And yes, I occasionally wear gym shorts and oversized t-shirts.... but look for every excuse to pull out the "little black dress" my husband loves to see me in.