For I am Conviced

I have been asked many times about the tattoo inside my wrist.  Today I'd like to share it's meaning with you.  The most obvious part of my tattoo is the semicolon.  If you're familiar at all with the semicolon movement, you know that this mark has come to represent overcoming suicide and self harm.  And if you've read my previous post, you know that my story includes a time in which I often wished that I was no longer alive.  The saying is that the author could have put a period and ended the story, but instead he decided to keep writing.  For me, it is a reminder that my author isn't finished,  There is another clause, another chapter.

If you know much about the actual use of semicolons, you know that they are used to link two independent but related clauses.  I have started a new independent clause, but not without learning from the last one.

My favorite part of this tattoo however is the words.  "For I am convinced."  It comes from my favorite Bible verse.  Romans 8:38-39

"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

This was my grandfather's favorite verse as well.  He had MS and couldn't not move anything below his neck when he passed away.  I've always liked this verse, but the events of the last few years have solidified it as my favorite verse.  You'll notice that Paul doesn't just list bad things.  Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons.  Through good and bad, nothing, not even the angels themselves, can separate us from God's love!

I like to read this verse and add to it:

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, nor MS, nor divorce, neither poverty nor plenty, nor self image... nothing, NOTHING will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

My tattoo is a beautiful reminder that no matter what I'm going through, it will pass and give way to another chapter.  And it will not and cannot separate me from God's unfailing love!