a tattoo story - a feature with perfect peace

Without going into too much detail, for about 5 years, I struggled with self injury, depression, and thoughts of suicide. When I would get mad or upset, I'd hurt myself in order to not feel the emotional pain. However, November of 2010 marked the one year point that I had not done anything to hurt myself. I was proud of myself for staying strong, and even though I still dealt with it (And still do!) I was able to love myself enough to keep myself safe. I wanted to get a tattoo to show my strength and pride in myself as a person. 

As I searched for ideas of what to get, the word "peace" lay heavy on my heart. A dove represents peace in the Lord and is one of the most beautiful creatures. When I made the decision to get a dove, I also wanted a Bible scripture to relate it to. I remember sitting on my bed and thinking about what to search for in order to find the right scripture. The words "perfect peace" (because what else is perfect, if not the peace that comes from Jesus Christ?) came to my head. I didn't think I'd find anything, but figured I'd give it a try anyway. Only one Bible verse came up, and when I read it, I got chills. The verse is Isaiah 26:3 and it says, "You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in You." How perfect! Because of the trust I have in God, He was able to give me peace and comfort in places in my life that I had no idea were able to be healed. Through His love and mercy, my sins are forgiven and forgotten.

Now to back up a bit, a little less than a year before my decision to get a tattoo, my good friend Adam died while he was on a business trip in China. I don't want to go too much into his story, because it is a bit controversial, but Adam was an amazing man. He lived for the Lord in every part of his life. When he died, it was one of the hardest things I've had to go through. It was hard to be okay with the fact that Adam was gone after only 20 years of life, but I knew that he was in Heaven. It was hard seeing so many people sad for Adam's death, but it made me realize how precious life really is. Shortly after Adam's death I made the decision to stop the self injury. 

As a reminder to myself and in honor of Adam, I got my tattoo on November 12, 2010. I couldn't be happier. I love my tattoo and I love what is means to me and what it shows I've gone through. It's hard to share my story, but I know how important it is. Things are easier to go through when you're not alone in them, and this gives me a way to be there for people. Every tattoo has a story, and this is mine!

A more detailed version of my story is on my blog and you can view that here [http://yourperfectpeace.blogspot.com/p/dove-story.html]

thank you melissa for sharing your tattoo story...it is so amazing and inspiring!  stop on over at melissa's little corner and tell her what you think...you'll love her happy place!!

if you have a tattoo story that you would like to share, i would love to feature you.  just send your story and pictures to scenicglory{at}gmail{dot}com!

XO, lindsay