Or more accurately titled: “why there is now a tattoo of a Hebrew word for sheep on my right wrist.” Everyone keeps asking me why I got the tattoo, and I promised an elegant explanation on my blog.  While this may not be as elegant as I had hoped, here is an explanation.

The imagery behind the word “sheep” in scripture really captivated me. It started when a mentor of mine prophesied the verse Luke 12:32 over my life: “Do not worry little flock, your father has gladly chosen to give you the Kingdom.”

Fittingly enough this verse in scripture and the use of the sheep imagery have been windows to my soul: I found myself wrestling with the question of what it meant to be a part of God’s flock. Why shouldn’t I worry? What does it mean that I am given the Kingdom? If the word is plural, does this apply to me personally or the body of Christ collectively or both?

How does this sentiment relate to the parable of the lost sheep? Does God search for every lost lamb knowing that it would please Him to give each of the flock his Kingdom? Does God chase after the lost lambs wanting to give them a relationship with the Shepherd, guidance, provision, and so forth? Doesn’t given the Kingdom also mean authority especially in the context of this passage? Do I know my identity in this way?

Where else is the metaphor of sheep used?  I know it’s in the Hebrew scripture, where is it? What does it mean? It is used often regarding sacrifices, including Christ as a sacrifice. How does that relate to me? What does it mean to follow Him if He is the Lamb that was slain and we are supposed to be living sacrifices?

Welcome to the inside of my mind at any given moment. I ask lots of questions, and eventually I seek to discover the answers. For me, the journey to unveil what it meant to be one of the flock has been life altering.

So, I have tattooed  “lambs” in Hebrew on my right wrist. It is a symbol of my identity as part of the flock, a reminder that I am a living sacrifice, a symbol of the authority I am given by my Father, a branding recalling the fact that I am being guided and protected by a good Shepherd, and a constant altar decoration showing my devotion to the Kingdom. 

I wish I could say that the placement and the details of the tattoo were well planned out and symbolic, but they weren’t. I knew I wanted a derivative of sheep in Hebrew on my right wrist, but I didn’t know which one or how to place it. Since the scripture I mentioned was New Testament, you may be wondering why Hebrew and not Greek... There isn't an artsy explanation other than the fact that I wanted a tattoo in each language and my other tattoo is Greek. The tattoo artist luckily knows Hebrew fluently, both modern and biblical, and was able to guide me.  We picked this particular word for sheep in the plural mainly because it is long enough to complement my other tattoo. He placed the tattoo facing outward on my wrist, which I like because it is symbolically showing my identity to others. And, funnily enough, the tattoo itself isn’t perfect. It bled a little, and this imperfection reminds me that I am also a work in progress- the flock is a work in progress as we are all trying our best to remind loyal to our Shepherd.

As the last few years have been about learning my identity in Christ, I actively marked my body with a symbolic reminder of all that I have learned, of all those questions that have been answered (or are in the process of being answered) in my life. It seems rather silly to tell people that I have the word sheep tattooed in a language I do not speak on my wrist, but it is a constant reminder that I am one of God’s children, a member of His flock. And, when someone asks me why I have the tattoo, I will remember that it is plural because the individual I am talking with is apart of the family as well. I will remember that my Father loves me, and He loves my brothers and sisters – no matter how far they are from home- because he never loses track of a sheep. He will never lose track of me, and He will continue to use my life as a living sacrifice to help shepherd His flock and to invite the wandering sheep back to a place where they clearly hear and respond to His voice.

So there you have it, a less than elegant description of a less than elegant tattoo.  My identity is tattooed on my right wrist, the dominant hand and the hand symbolic of power. And, a reminder that God’s plan has His perfect timing is tattooed on my left wrist facing me so that I can never forget that He knows best and that I should respond to His promptings.  Just as the people of the biblical times built memorials to the Lord, I have two tattoos marking the great things God has done and is doing in my life as one of His flock involved in His perfect plan.

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Note: I wrote this post approximately three weeks ago while still in Ibiza, as the last of a series of blogs relating to a book I had recently read. I am just now getting around to posting those blogs--Aside from minor edits, it remains the same as originally written.