Tattoo queen?

Its no secret that I have tattoos....much to the dismay of my Mom, Dad and husband. If my in laws knew about my tattoos, Im sure that after they recovered from their strokes, they would probably question whether they really wanted me to be married to their son. But in my defense, I had tatoos before I married their son.
Let me share my story about tattoo ART. I get asked all the time WHY?????
I can distinctly remember sitting in the back seat of my parents Gran Torino (burnt orange/brown in color with a white top) out in the parking lot while they ran into a store. Back in the 70's, as long as you put the windows down, it was perfectly ok and acceptable to leave your small kids alone in the car while you ran into the grocery store. At any rate, I remember sitting there in the Florida sun, staring out at a biker gang that had ridden up near by. All of the members had multiple tattoos. All of them road really cool bikes. I knew then that some day I too would have tattoos and maybe even ride a motorcycle. HOWEVER, after having worked in the ER and seeing gray matter coming out of a mans nose and ears.....I changed my mind quickly about motorcycles.
So when I turned 18, I started out my rebellious venture with a tattoo of a gecko on the sole of my left foot. As painful as it was, I was quite pleased with myself. I was hooked. But broke people can only be so hooked....it would be nearly a decade before I would get my second tattoo. The second one being another gecko on my lower back with a floral print for skin. For me it expressed my fondness of lizards (that I spent hours chasing and catching as a small child) and it was still kind of feminine since it was covered in a floral print. Not long after that, I added my maiden name in Kanji (Japanese...I did take it in college so I know what it really says).
For my 37th birthday, I had decided that I wanted to have a cross added to my back. Truth be told, I thought that I might try to get that large gecko covered with a cross. In my mind, I was concerned that people might think that I am some kind of fruity pagan lizard worshiper...which is absolutely silly BUT. At any rate, Luke the tattoo artist let me know that if I wanted to cover it, it would take almost a full lower back piece and he could not quarantee that it would work. I mulled it all over in my mind.
When I finally went in to have my work done, I decided that I would get my back gecko touched up. Luke made all of the flowers in my gecko POP out! He did a great job! After 12 years they had really faded and looked like blobs. He said that the new inks he used will last longer and remain brighter. THEN I did the last thing that anyone in my family would have liked, I got a cross tattooed on my left side. Its about 4 inches tall and 3 inches wide.
When my mom saw my latest tattoo she said,"That's ugly. I dont like it." Ok Mom. Pete wasn't thrilled. Both expressed concern that I would some day be completely covered in tattoos. I'm sure I wont be. But the point of having tattoos is a form of expression and art to me. It doesnt have anything in the world to do with pleasing or not pleasing anyone. I like them. Will I ever get one in a location that anyone will ever be able to see? NO.
But here is the thing. When my 3 year old Lyndi saw that cross on my side, she asked me what it was a tattoo of? I explained that it was a cross. I got it on my side to remind me that Jesus died on the cross for me and all people that believe in HIM so that we could all go to Heaven. She said," So he died on the cross for you and ME and Daddy and Lila to go to Heaven? What about Sherrie and Lyle (our neighbor friends)." I told her that he died for all of us so that we could ALL go to Heaven if we believed in HIM. The look on her face was one of wonder and excitement. She was so happy that she just grabbed me around the neck and hugged me tight. She was so glad that she would one day be going to Heaven because of Jesus. I wish I had had a video of that moment. Tears welled up in my eyes. I told Lyndi that all I have to do is see that cross and be reminded. She got it. She may be 3 years old but she got it and had to tell Daddy about it.
If the tattoos that I have offend others, I'm sorry. I decided to get a tattoo of a cross so that all people will know where I stand in my beliefs. I am HIS. And if anyone should happen to see it and want to ask me about it, it is a good opportunity for me to share my beliefs. But if Lyndi is the only little human being that ever sees the cross and gets excited when I tell her that it is a reminder of our salvation....then I feel like having that tattoo goes beyond just being beautiful art work, but into a chance for me to share my love for Christ.