//the meaning of ink

As a final hoorah to this summer, I made myself write another post about a random topic. A fun fact about me, Alicia Guthrie, is that I have two tattoos. One is on my left ribcage, and the other is on my left foot. Both concealable, both potent, my tattoos are significant works of art painted on my canvas.  

My first tattoo:: done at Taboo Tattoo in Dallas, Texas

 

My favorite band is the Killers. Everyone knows their classic hits, but they have a song “Be Still” on their 2012 Battle Born album that never seems to make the radio:

Be still

And go on to bed

Nobody knows what lies ahead

And life is short

To say the least

We're in the belly of the beast

Be still

Wild and young

Long may your innocence reign

Like shells on the shore

And may your limits be unknown

And may your efforts be your own

If you ever feel you can't take it anymore

Don't break character

You've got a lot of heart

Is this real or just a dream?

Rise up like the sun

Labor till the work is done

Getting these permanent words on my body is a reminder to never give up on Jesus, dreams, convictions, passions, and who I am. I refuse to break character and revert into someone I am not. If I were to throw any of those intrinsic things away, I would be reminded of failure and defeat every time I saw my tattoo. I would know I gave up on dreams I have had since I was young. But instead, I see my side and am reminded to persevere in the strength of the Lord, who always faithfully provides overflowing strength. The “so much heart” I have? Yeah, that’s directly from my Jesus. There have been countless times I felt I couldn’t take “blank” anymore, but it was in my weakest that the Lord was the most evident. I could never give up on what He has done for me. So I wake up every morning and labor until my work is done.

Then there’s the song’s title, “Be Still.” Psalm 46:10 has been a powerful reminder of my priorities. I get so wrapped up in the insanity and difficulties that is college at Texas A&M University. I become entirely useless because I am so anxious about everything. When I cannot sleep because I am overwhelmed, when I am beyond drained from running around constantly, when I am trying to tread water so rapidly merely to stay afloat… I need to be still, and know that He is God.

That’s it.

Nothing else is constant or can provide. He is God. That is all that matters. 

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

Psalm 46:10

 

So be still.

My second tattoo:: done at Freaks Tattoo on Broadway, KC

Summer 2015, I had one of the greatest adventures of my life when I lived in Kansas City, Missouri, for several months. Mid-June, Mattie and I decided to add to our repertoire, so we got the following tattoo on our feet:

 This minimalistic triangle is a typography glyph – basically an elemental symbol – that means “explore”. We chose this because we wanted to be reminded to never stop exploring. It is on my foot because my foot takes my body wherever I need to go. There is unimaginable adventure awaiting, but one misses it if she is afraid to explore, possibly get lost, or encounter the unknown. It is easy to take the comfortable path and go with what is known, but I want to explore further. Be scared. Be uncertain. But know God will take me places and teach me lessons that are only obtained way beyond what’s comfortable. Plus adventuring is so much fun.

             

But exploration does not stop on earth. I want to have a career promoting exploration beyond our earth. There is so much out there that God has created for us to see and worship Him for, and I want to be a part of that. Space exploration is my uninhibited passion, and now is the time to unite and support such global efforts. Sometimes I need the reminder on my foot that school is temporary, but the end results will be worth it.

Not only did God give us His truly awe-inspiring creation, but He also allows us to explore His character and personality and love. We can never comprehend Him fully, but we can always explore new facets of who He is and how He loves us. Indubitably, a relationship with Jesus is the best, never-ending adventure of an eternity.

The final layer of meaning behind my foot tattoo correlates to my passion for missions. Romans 10:13-15 beautifully says,

For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written,

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!”

 Not only do I want to explore God myself, but I want to explore this world WITH God as He directs my steps toward a life completely on mission. Whether that is in the workplace, a research lab, or a third world country, it does not matter. The crux is that a life with Jesus is the greatest adventure I can ever have, and my life boils down to this: explore the world, explore space, and explore God’s greatness.

Never stop exploring.