Hello everyone at Scenic Glory! My name is Jana and I blog over at Giggles, Glitz & Glam! I am happy to share my tattoo story with you today.
I think I've kind of always wanted a tattoo, but my mother was adamant that it was a bad thing to do and I would get some disease. My argument? Uncle Toot has a tattoo and he isn't dead. I know, it was a really good argument. I respected my mothers wishes until I was 24...
I hit my rebellion stage after I turned 22. For my 21st birthday, I did shots of creamer and then for my 22nd birthday, well let's just say I did the shots most people do on their 21st. From there is a was down hill. I ended college drinking regularly and even decided to stay in the college town post graduation living with the friends I spent my time drinking with.
I visited home one weekend and was completely convicted after a friend was absolutely heart broken to hear I'd started getting drunk regularly. He just knew I was better than that. Honestly, I knew better than that but something about that lifestyle had captured me. I cried my entire way back to Lubbock as I knew God was calling me out of my sin. It wasn't long before my roommate asked me to go have some drinks with her but to my devastation I couldn't find my strapless bra which meant I couldn't put on my drinking clothes. Yep, that's what kept me from going out that night. I called my mom an absolute mess and we decided that night it was time for me to say good-bye to the college town to move home. A week later I moved home and started fresh.
I got back into church and getting my life on track. For a little over a year I really was headed down the right road and then I met a group of Christian friends that thought it was okay to get drunk. So I figured at least now I was spending time with Christians getting drunk so I started drinking again, although not regularly this time just socially. This needed to end too, but God had to get my attention in a whole new way. I had accepted getting drunk as okay since I was with my Christian friends doing it.
I went to this place where they have a 2 drink minimum on a specialty drink of theirs due to the strength of the beverage. Honestly, I only remember getting one drink so clearly one was far more than enough for me. I did really like this drink and I guess started asking for refills from the other patrons sitting near us at the bar. I only recall bits and pieces of the evening like feeling scared and alone because my friends were no where to be found. And aside from those things the rest was told to me by my roommate and friends who rescued me. I managed to text two people that night, whom just happened to be together an hour away from where I was. They realized I was in serious need of help and left their fun to come rescue me. I was told the bartender called them to ask where they were because they were getting ready to call the cops. Praise the Lord they did not. When my friends arrived a couple of strangers had been caring for me and my so called friends were out on the dance floor. My friends took me home which I hear was eventful. My roommate slept in my bed that night fearful that I would die from alcohol poisoning, so she slept there and woke each hour to make sure I was okay.
I believe that God was very present that night. I believe that he saved me from a number of things like being taken advantage of since my friends were no where to be found. He had me text two people he knew were together because I had no idea they were. One of those he had me text happened to be the leader of my home group which I find to be no coincidence. Those two friends were good friends with my roommate which was also beneficial. Those two friends were with two other people who had no problem with leaving their fun activity to take care of some crazy girl. Those two also chose not to judge me but to love me anyway. The bartender didn't call the cops. I didn't have alcohol poising and the list could go on. God had captured my attention full well! That night one of the guys who was caring for me put a rubber-band in my hair to keep me from puking in it so I wore that rubber-band for many weeks to follow to remind myself just how gracious the Lord was to me that night.
Not long after that I sat around the table with my roommate and friend talking about tattoos. We decided right then that we wanted tattoos and called my roommates fiance' and our friend that knows good tattoo shops. Within an hour we were in Dallas ready to get a tattoo. I knew mine would be "grace" because of all that happened that night. The Lord had been so gracious to me and I wanted that reminder there on my foot so that every time I glance down I see and am reminded of God's grace in my life.
I think I've kind of always wanted a tattoo, but my mother was adamant that it was a bad thing to do and I would get some disease. My argument? Uncle Toot has a tattoo and he isn't dead. I know, it was a really good argument. I respected my mothers wishes until I was 24...
I hit my rebellion stage after I turned 22. For my 21st birthday, I did shots of creamer and then for my 22nd birthday, well let's just say I did the shots most people do on their 21st. From there is a was down hill. I ended college drinking regularly and even decided to stay in the college town post graduation living with the friends I spent my time drinking with.
I visited home one weekend and was completely convicted after a friend was absolutely heart broken to hear I'd started getting drunk regularly. He just knew I was better than that. Honestly, I knew better than that but something about that lifestyle had captured me. I cried my entire way back to Lubbock as I knew God was calling me out of my sin. It wasn't long before my roommate asked me to go have some drinks with her but to my devastation I couldn't find my strapless bra which meant I couldn't put on my drinking clothes. Yep, that's what kept me from going out that night. I called my mom an absolute mess and we decided that night it was time for me to say good-bye to the college town to move home. A week later I moved home and started fresh.
I got back into church and getting my life on track. For a little over a year I really was headed down the right road and then I met a group of Christian friends that thought it was okay to get drunk. So I figured at least now I was spending time with Christians getting drunk so I started drinking again, although not regularly this time just socially. This needed to end too, but God had to get my attention in a whole new way. I had accepted getting drunk as okay since I was with my Christian friends doing it.
I went to this place where they have a 2 drink minimum on a specialty drink of theirs due to the strength of the beverage. Honestly, I only remember getting one drink so clearly one was far more than enough for me. I did really like this drink and I guess started asking for refills from the other patrons sitting near us at the bar. I only recall bits and pieces of the evening like feeling scared and alone because my friends were no where to be found. And aside from those things the rest was told to me by my roommate and friends who rescued me. I managed to text two people that night, whom just happened to be together an hour away from where I was. They realized I was in serious need of help and left their fun to come rescue me. I was told the bartender called them to ask where they were because they were getting ready to call the cops. Praise the Lord they did not. When my friends arrived a couple of strangers had been caring for me and my so called friends were out on the dance floor. My friends took me home which I hear was eventful. My roommate slept in my bed that night fearful that I would die from alcohol poisoning, so she slept there and woke each hour to make sure I was okay.
I believe that God was very present that night. I believe that he saved me from a number of things like being taken advantage of since my friends were no where to be found. He had me text two people he knew were together because I had no idea they were. One of those he had me text happened to be the leader of my home group which I find to be no coincidence. Those two friends were good friends with my roommate which was also beneficial. Those two friends were with two other people who had no problem with leaving their fun activity to take care of some crazy girl. Those two also chose not to judge me but to love me anyway. The bartender didn't call the cops. I didn't have alcohol poising and the list could go on. God had captured my attention full well! That night one of the guys who was caring for me put a rubber-band in my hair to keep me from puking in it so I wore that rubber-band for many weeks to follow to remind myself just how gracious the Lord was to me that night.
Not long after that I sat around the table with my roommate and friend talking about tattoos. We decided right then that we wanted tattoos and called my roommates fiance' and our friend that knows good tattoo shops. Within an hour we were in Dallas ready to get a tattoo. I knew mine would be "grace" because of all that happened that night. The Lord had been so gracious to me and I wanted that reminder there on my foot so that every time I glance down I see and am reminded of God's grace in my life.
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thank you jana for sharing your wonderful tattoo story with us today! be sure to stop by her corner of the blogging world and tell her hello ♥ if you have a tattoo story you'd like to share email me! scenicglory {at}gmail{dot}com. XO
amazing story. and pretty amazing shoes, too. ;)
ReplyDeletewow, what a powerful, moving story!
ReplyDeleteI looove those shoes. And the tattoo is lovely! This makes me want to write out a story behind one of mine.
ReplyDeleteall i can say is this!! that was so wonderful!! good job!!!
ReplyDeleteWebsite design Dallas
that is a wonderful background for such a beautiful tattoo
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me share my story! :)
ReplyDelete