Tattoos of Grace 2

Ron and Jeanette

In my post Tattoos of Grace I,  I shared with you how I discovered my son's Robot Executive tattoo. Although I didn't like the idea of a permanent picture on my (twenty-something) baby's arm, I respected his right to have one. 

But his second tattoo convinced me of the value of this art for nourishing the soul. In certain cases. 



Several years after Robot Executive's arrival on Ron's shoulder, I noticed a second tattoo on his other arm. It was a simple drawing he'd found in one of his dad's old clip art books. 

A hand gripping a rubber stamp that read "APPROVED," which had been imprinted on the surface below it. 

I stared at it for a minute before speaking. "Wow. I think you prophesied on this one, Ron." 

"Oh no, Mom, I just thought this was kinda funky and cool. There is nothing deep about it." 

But I--the Mama--knew better. I recalled all his years of self-doubt, asking the Lord for direction in his career, wondering where he fit in the whole puzzle of life. Now it seemed he had come to a place of accepting himself and the gifts God had placed in him. He was embracing the Lord's approval of Ron Levellie as a person, not for the laughs he could elicit from others or the good deeds he could do. But for himself. Made in God's image. Approved. It was more than just a fun piece of art stuck on his upper arm. 

It was a tattoo of grace.

At least, that's my story and I'm sticking to it. It helps me accept the tattoos on my son, and it helps me see that if we are in Christ, we're approved by God, regardless of our differing tastes and styles. So there. 

Do you think we unwittingly make statements about ourselves by choices we make? 
Have you ever changed your mind about something, like I did about my son's tattoos? 
Do you have a tattoo?