My First Tattoo...

Recently I got my first tattoo and according to my mom, it will be my ONLY tattoo.

How do you know when it’s the right time to get something marked on your body for the rest of your life?

My answer: when you want to be REMINDED of something for the rest of your life.

The night I got my tattoo, I talked my husband into going with me, I told him it would be a great bonding experience. Turns out, it was a night neither one of us will forget.

As we pulled into the parking lot, I saw the countenance on his face shift. I said, “What’s wrong? Are you mad I am doing this?” He replied that he didn’t mind but wanted to make sure that it was what I really wanted to do because it was a “forever” decision. I took a deep breath and told him that I was confident in my decision, all while trying not to be nervous.

As we walked in, the artist assigned to me was covered in tattoos, from head to toe but I loved his energy and knew I was in great hands.

He took an imprint of the tattoo I wanted, then he sized it perfectly for the place it was going on my body. After that, he had me wait on a couch with my husband while he got my chair ready.

Again, on the couch, my husband asked me if I was SURE that I wanted to do this…at this point I was starting to second guess myself. But then I took another deep breath and said, “Yep, this is what I want and this is what I want to see on my body for the rest of my life.”

The tattoo artist called me back to my chair and as I was sitting down a gentleman got up from the spot next to me. He had just gotten a HUGE tattoo across his chest and he said that it was his girlfriend’s name. I was speechless, but also impressed.

Next, it was the girlfriend’s turn. Little did I know what was about to happen…his girlfriend laid on her stomach and then started getting her boyfriend’s name on her left butt cheek!

Nate couldn’t believe it, he just looked at me with wide eyes that said, “Do you see what you just brought me into?” All I could do in the moment was laugh because there are no words of wisdom a wife could give to her sweet, innocent husband while being forced to see a girl get a butt cheek tattoo!

I decided to face the other direction and focus on what the artist was doing on my arm. He started the needle and placed the Hebrew word “worthy” on my forearm. It only took about 10 minutes but in that time I asked him about all the tattoos on his body and he began to tell me about his struggle with addiction and his new life as a believer in Christ. One of his tattoos said, “Jesus Saves.”

My heart was full of Christ’s love for this man. I saw the brokenness in his eyes, the same brokenness I sometimes still struggle with on a daily basis.

He put a piece of plastic on my arm when he was done and I thanked him for the experience.

It was a beautiful moment in time because I got to hear another testimony of the relentless love and forgiveness of Christ but also because I had forever branded myself with a promise from God.

I don’t care who you are, we all need to be reminded that we are WORTHY.

Worthy to receive God’s love.

Worthy to give love.

Worthy of forgiveness.

Worthy of healing.

Worthy to step into your calling.

Worthy to be seen.

Worthy to be heard.

Worthy of it all.

Here at the Beautiful Basics, we are cheering you on. You are worthy of it all. He is worthy of it all.

Much love,

Jenn Simmons