tat.

I posted a picture of this {along with a shorter explanation} on Facebook awhile back, but sometimes I inadvertently neglect the blogosphere because of my addicition to Facebook. So, I hereby apologize for neglecting those of you who still read my blog. If anyone is even still out there. Anyway, what I was saying was...

I got a tattoo.

This is a HUGE deal for me, as I am a HUGE wimp. I have a low tolerance for pain, and I have a needle phobia. Those two do not add up to a desire for a tattoo, and yet I have wanted a tattoo for awhile now. The two hindrances {besides pain + needle} were: a) where on my body to get one so as not to look like white trash, and b) what design to get. Since it's such a huge deal for me, it would have to be something significant; otherwise I wouldn't go through with it.

Well, back in July, Baron was on Wilderness Trek in Colorado with some of the teens from church. While he was out of the state for 9 days, I got this wondrous idea to get a tattoo while he was away. So of course, since I got the idea, and decided it was wondrous, I had my mind set on it. I had already decided I wanted it on the inside of my foot, below the ankle, but I didn't know what design to get. Something that signified my relationship with Christ. A cross? Maybe. A Jesus fish? No, cause I don't want to copy Judy. :-) An inspiring word written in Hebrew? Nah. I thought & thought & thought about it. Finally...it hit me. Romans 8:28. I wanted to somehow incorporate this scripture in my tattoo.

Some of you have heard Baron's story about why this scripture is significant to him. For those of you who haven't, I'll summarize. We were sitting at the wedding of two of our friends only a couple of months before we got married. The date was June 26th. Baron noticed the date on the program, and thought, "oh that's clever - they're getting married on 6/26, so it will be easy for him to remember his anniversary." And then it dawned on him - he & I were getting married on August 28th...8/28! And when he thought of the date that way, he thought of Romans 8:28 - "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." This scripture was significant to Baron because he had been in a really bad relationship before moving back to Montgomery and eventually dating me. Because of all of the rotten stuff he went through, he was molded into the man that walked into my life and swept me off my feet. God brought us together - there's no doubt about that. But Baron had to spend some time "in the pits" {both figuratively & literally, when he was working in the grease pit at a machine shop} to get there.

Fast forward to our marriage. Since we've been married, we've been through 3 hurricanes & 1 tornado, dealt with infertility for 3 years, and & lost a precious baby through miscarriage. Through all of that - we are so much stronger. We are closer to each other than we thought we could be. I am closer to my God, when I didn't even realize I needed to be. I cannot even describe the difference inside of me since my miscarriage. Losing a baby after wanting one for so long - that kind of trial will take you one direction or the other, and I am so blessed that I grew closer to God through that horrible time in my life. So many blessings have come from these difficult times for me & Baron. And it can all be summed up by Romans 8:28.

So...that is the significance of the tattoo. All the junk Baron went through before meeting me, all the junk we've endured together since getting married...it's all for the good. God is working out His plan for our lives, and someday we will realize what all the mess was about.