“That’s an L, definitely one of that L’s!”
As a needle cut through my skin and injected ink, it is well with my soul, was being etched into my back, and that was my way of saying “ouch!”. It’s written in script so those long loopy L’s didn’t feel so great.
The song Even If by MercyMe was very popular at the time. It repeats the well-known refrain, it is well with my soul. I can’t pinpoint when I realized that I was going to put that line on my body, but I had been thinking about a tattoo for a while. I knew that I wanted one, but wasn’t in any hurry to get one.
That moment in my life was pivotal. I had moved back home after college with no future plans except for getting to know my new step-family. For the first time in my life, I had no plans.
No class. No job. Free time.
I spent some time getting settled into my new room in our new house. I got adequate sleep for the first time in who knows how long. I cooked. And I began to read for fun.
Reading was not a part of my regular routine. I had a few stints in high school where I read Harry Potter, Twilight, and a few other series, but that was it. In college, most of the reading I did was for class and even then most of it didn’t get done.
Except for one book, Loveology.
I loved how it was written and it spoke to my soul in a way that I desperately needed.
Since I had free time I decided to check out the other books by the author of Loveology, John Mark Comer. I couldn’t put them down. The Lord spoke to me through his books. For the first time, I got a glimpse of what life with God is like.
So I read all of his books. Then started listening to his church’s podcast. Then I started looking for other books and podcasts.
I was learning about what it means to live like Jesus in a practical way, that the Lord has a name, how to fast, different ways to pray, and that the earth and heaven will be reunited and the work I do here and now actually matters. My mind was blown. (It still is and there’s so much I don’t know. Our God is so cool!)
So, here I am absorbing all this information and starting to truly develop a real relationship with Jesus.
We started to work through some of the lies and junk that I had built up. It was scary, intimate, and freeing.
The Lord calls the Israelites to remember constantly.
“Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt.” Deuteronomy 24:22 (NLT)
“So commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these words of mine. Tie them to your hands and wear them on your forehead as reminders.” – Deuteronomy 11:18 (NLT)
In Joshua, the Israelites stack stones as a reminder after they crossed the Jordan.
Sometimes I forget I have that little line of text on my back, but sometimes it tingles a little bit and then I remember.
I got my tattoo because I wanted to commemorate that season of my life. The season where the Lord called me close and took me deep. It just felt right to mark it, though I didn’t understand why.
That season was a turning point in my life and I’m certain it’s not the last.
Now I understand why I wanted to mark that moment in my faith journey. It was pivotal. Now I have a reminder. A reminder of how He moved and completely changed my life. And a promise that He is far from finished with me yet.
Even so, it is well with my soul
