Inked

Saturday night I posted on Facebook that I checked into a tattoo parlor. While many of you thought this was a weird joke, I actually was there. In fact, I wasn’t lying about “Lines done. Shading going on now.” I have been waiting for almost five months to get a tattoo, but with my busy summer traveling nonstop, I put it off. Now that I am home until the first week of November, I finally had time to get my tattoo done. Yes, I really did get one.

Some of you will just scroll down to see what I had done before reading what the tattoo represents, so I will save you the agony and post the pics now and then explain it below. Here is Phase One of my tattoo.

Starting on the tat

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THE SYMBOLS

The symbols you see emerging out of the vine is the Hebrew sign for the name “Israel.” This name is symbolic to me of a process I have been in for a while now as God has been calling me into a greater level of personal responsibility and ownership in my identity. My dad spoke last year about the “Jacob Nature.” In the Bible, Jacob was the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, and Jacob was not a very honest guy. He tricked his brother, Esau, into giving up his birthright for a bowl of soup and continually manipulated people in order to get his way. Jacob’s name literally meant “manipulator” or “deceiver.” This “Jacob nature” closely resembled how I had been living my life. I manipulated people and situations to get what I want. I had become a Jacob.

In Genesis 32:22-31, Jacob wrestles with God and practically overcomes God. Jacob’s soul strength, his ability to do things on his own, was so strong that it could practically overcome God. It was not that he was more powerful than God, but that his strength did not have God as its source, but rather himself. The Jacob nature seeks to replace God as the center of our lives and insert ourselves as king. As Jacob continues to wrestle, God has to disable Jacob by putting his hip out of joint. Then God asked Jacob to let him go, but Jacob asked to be blessed. God’s blessing came in the form of a name change. He said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel,  because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome (v.28).”

When Jacob refused to let go, even at daybreak, after his hip was injured, the Lord asked his name. He said, “My name is Jacob”–the deceiver. God helped Jacob to discover himself. For the first time he saw himself as a selfish deceiver. Jacob was ready for a new name and a changed character. God gave him a new name–Israel. Israel means “one who struggles with God.” One who struggles with men becomes proud and fearful if he wins; he despairs if he looses. But one who struggles with God lives life on a different level. Not only was Jacob’s name changed; his inner life and character were also changed. He began a new life as a spiritual man. He walked with a limp, but his face was shining, and he named that place Peniel, the face of God.

I wanted to put this name on my arm because about a year ago someone spoke over my life that God was giving me a new name. They said, “No longer will you be a Jacob, a deceiver, but now you will be an Israel. A man who walks with a limp that shows that you have wrestled with God and you have been blessed.” This tattoo is a declaration that the Jacob nature will no longer be my identity, but I will be an Israel. Another translation says Israel means “upright with God.” This is who I am called to be. My struggle with God is not one of resistance, but of a continual fight for more of Him in my life. I am not satisfied with “Sunday Christianity.” There has to be more worth living for. And there may be a limp to my walk, but may that be a sign that I am in walk with God.

I heard a preacher once say, “Never trust a pastor who does not have a limp. The limp shows that they’ve fought for the truth they preach.” This tattoo is a declaration that I will fight to hold onto the revelation God gives me. I cannot preach for what I do not own.

THE VINE

The vine comes out of John 15:1-17, it represents that Jesus is the Vine and I am the branches. Verse five says, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” The vine runs through the name Israel as a declaration that I will remain in Him and Him in me. If Father God’s desire is for me to bear fruit (v.8), then it can only come in place of intimacy with Jesus Christ as my source. Jacob found his identity in himself. Israel is one who walks upright with God. The limp is a constant reminder of his need for God’s strength.

THE DETAILS

The tattoo you see now is Phase One. The symbols are complete, but I will be going back in about three weeks to get the vine and leaves colored. I went to Slave to the Needle in Wallingford and am having my tattoo done by Marc. I am quite proud of his work and would highly recommend him. And yes, the tattoo did hurt. It wasn’t excruciating, but it wasn’t comfortable either. It took about two hours to get my tattoo done.

I would love to hear your thoughts on my tattoo, whether you are for it or against it. And if any of you would like to discuss what the Bible has to say about tattoos, I did much research into that topic and would be happy to discuss that too! Thanks for taking the time to read all of this.

***UPDATE*** The tattoo is completed now. Last week (10/3/10) I went back to visit Marc to get the tattoo colored. While it hurt less to get the tattoo colored than when he did the black and grey, the healing process takes longer (about an extra week) and is a bit more painful. All in all though, I am glad it’s finished and would definitely go back to Marc when I am ready for another tat.

Take a look at the final pic in the slideshow to see the color and then comment below and tell me what you think!