A Christian girl and her tattoos

Mary Croft, 13th Sep 2020
Tags: Life Blog Body image Father God Identity

I have had a lot of conversations about why I have tattoos. A lot of people assume that I probably got them before I became a Christian and now "regret" them. This would be wrong, I actually got them to compliment my faith.

Let me show you my two tattoos and what they mean.

Floral Moon 

For my first tattoo, I got this floral moon with a Bible verse in the middle.

Part of this Bible verse (Psalm 147) says, 'he calls the stars and knows them by name'.

I have always loved stargazing and been fascinated by the enormity of the universe. I watched a talk once from a guy called Louis Giglio called ‘How great is our God’, and I have never been the same since.

He looks at the size of stars and how in the Bible it says God ‘breathed the word, and all the stars where born’ (Psalm 33). Check it out, it is worth it!

I am overwhelmed at how big God is.

I am to this day, still overwhelmed at how big God is. But I am more amazed that this God, who names the stars, says that I am created and known by him.

He says I am more valuable to him than the stars. Let me just say that again. We are just a small speck in the universe, yet God knows your name. Woah.

I also love flowers, a lot; my favourite are daisies. And when I was thinking of getting this tattoo, I heard God call me his flower.

God wants to be a part of the things I love.

He said this because of a few reasons:

1. He picks me: He wants to include me in his plans.
2. They are pretty, and each flower is unique: He says I am beautiful, a masterpiece that he has perfectly made and designed.
3. I love flowers: He wants me to enjoy life and he wants to be a part of the things I love.
4. I pick flowers: He is saying that he wants me to go out and look after people, show them that they are part of something more.
   

Floral Eagle

My second tattoo is a floral Eagle. In the Bible, God is referred to as being like an eagle.

Here are some facts about eagles:

• An eagle’s eyesight is around five times better than a human’s.
• They can fly high as 15,000 feet.
• Eagles can fly up to 100mph.
• The Bible mentions eagles over 30 times.

This tattoo reminds me that God’s eyesight is better than my own. I can and should always trust in his direction for my life; to know that his plans are always for my good, even when I feel like I’m wandering around lost. He knows the way out.

"But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint", Isaiah 40:31 in the Bible.

I have been amazed at how they have helped my life and faith.

Since getting both of these tattoos, I have been amazed at how they have helped my life and faith in more ways than I could imagine.

I have had the opportunity to explain their meaning, and share parts of my story, through the different conversations I've had about my tattoos. They are a visual aid, helping me re-focus during panic attacks.