For many years I have had a friend that has tried to convince me to get a tattoo. She has a beautiful flower tattooed on her leg, and brainstorms what image would be best for me. I am pretty sure that she knows her appeals are hopeless and I do not want anyone carving on my body, but tattoos do intrigue me. Whether it be a Chinese symbol, a pretty butterfly, or skull and crossbones, my eyes can’t help but wander to the place of ink. I can hear my mother’s voice in my childhood ear, “don’t stare”, but I just can’t help it. Part of me feels like I am being rude and shouldn’t be caught looking, but another part feels like that’s the whole point. On one hand a tattoo seems like a very personal, private, intimate decision, but then again didn’t the person want it to be a public spectacle.
It also baffles me why a person would willingly put themselves through the pain of getting a tattoo. However, in some cases maybe the pain of the procedure is minimal in comparison to the event that the tattoo memorializes. Some people get inked on the spur of the moment (and regret their decision for a lifetime), while others agonize over the perfect design and just the right placement. Some people describe their tats as pieces of art, while others see them as disgusting and trashy. For some it is a rite of passage and for others a means to remember. The names of two children that she has buried are not only etched in the memory of my sister, but also on her shoulder. She doesn’t want others to forget either.
Whether your body is covered with ink, you have a symbol that few people will ever see, or you have vowed to never be touched by a tattoo artist’s equipment, you are the object of a tattoo; you are someone else’s inspiration. Someone loves you so much that your name is permanently placed on their skin. Isaiah 49:16 says “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” Isn’t that cool? And what is the purpose behind this mark? Verse 15 says “I will never forget you!” God does not merely have a picture of you that he keeps on a shelf, or your name written in the clouds that he can look at once in a while, no, you are affixed to his hands… always in his sight, always before him, never put aside. He is constantly mindful of you and will never forget you! And this mark is certainly not written in some cheap, liquid pigment that runs and fades over time, but with the pure and precious blood of Jesus!
There are times in my life when I have forgotten about God; times when I have turned my back on him and didn’t care too much about what he had to say; times when it felt like God had forgotten me. But He assures us that this is not so. Before we are given the visual of being tattooed on our Lord, verse 15 tells us that even if a mother could possible forget the baby at her breast, God could never forget us. No matter what comes our way God will be with us. Even if his presence is hidden behind the veil of pain and tragedy, his promises are true.
Jesus speaks in John 10:28 and says, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them out of my hand.” Being in God’s hand is a wonderful comfort to me. His hand is mighty to save, upholds me and strengthens me. He’s got the whole world in his hands.
Erin Jacobsma