Monday, February 25, 2008

Tattoo jones

I'm a sucker for quality tats. Not that I can claim that either of mine are quality. My first one was inked at 2:00 a.m. on a crazy night, by a guy named Troy who was on some sort of illegal substance. My second was drawn with a Sharpie before the guy took the needle to it for ten minutes and then I walked out the door. Really can't say much for quality.

But tonight got me thinking about tats again. I really don't think about them much these days, because I'm more all-natural. Seriously, Asheville is getting to me.

But there is something that I need to remember and that is There is now no condemnation.

Condemnation.

Shame.

Judgment.

Any of those sound familiar to any of ya'll? Well that's what I've pretty much been walking in for, umm, most of my life.

Jesus said something really interesting once. He said, "love your neighbor as yourself." As in, you'll love your neighbor like you love yourself. As in, Megan judges herself constantly, guess what she does to her neighbor?

Honestly I'm tired of it. I'm tired of judging people, and I'm tired of running from pain, and I'm tired of condemning myself because oh, how very shocking! I'm not perfect. You know what the opposite of all that is? It's called grace. Grace means not getting what you deserve to get. Grace means not being condemned even though I've done stuff to deserve condemnation. Grace means that I have been given value and worth.

So forget shame. I've had enough of you. I know all about you, and how you make me feel. I know how you wait for me to hang my head and give into despair. Enough already!

It is for freedom that I have been set free.

Does everybody hear that?

FREEDOM. Freeeeeeeedommmmmm! I'm yelling it William Wallace style.

4 comments:

Becka Robinson said...

amen ;)

Natalia said...

God is love :)

JD @ run-thru-life.blogspot.com said...

Excellent post. I think as a society we are way to judgmental on everything, including what people would consider positive attributes. We look at someone driving a nice car and say..man they must be good at what they do. Or we see someone dressed well and think they must be nice and wholesome.

God truly does not judge us on anything but our hearts, and you have every right to ask for grace, and move forward with your life...

JD

A Wanderer's Heart said...

JD... you are very right, because people who drive nice cars and wear nice clothes aren't necessarily any good at what they do at all... but they do have a nice piece of plastic that swipes easily. That would be 87% of Americans spending what they don't have.

I liked the spin on judgments, though... I never thought of it the way you put it.