With

“God was with us so we’d be with each other.”

Bob Goff

So I did something big today. I got a tattoo!

I chose the word with. It’s a word that is used often but it’s not recognized enough. I want this word to bring curiosity to people. Curiosity brings questions, questions generate conversation, and conversation creates a relationship.

One of my favorite authors, Bob Goff writes in one of his books how there’s a difference between knowing what someone’s doing vs being with them while they do it. I think it’s so easy to live my life where I think I know what my family and friends are doing in their life. But I don’t always actually know what they’re going through. If I want to learn more of who a person is and have a better understanding of the experiences and challenges they go through, I need to be present with them. I want my relationships to show that I am with people in their joys, with them in their tears, with them in big decisions and with them as they grow in their faith. 

Most importantly this tattoo is a reminder of my faith. The t represents the cross and what Jesus did for me. He demonstrated that He didn’t want to be an observer in my life but that He left heaven to be with me. The overwhelming desire of my heart to want to be with God just writing this is all the more of how I want to live my life daily.

I don’t need this ink to signify my relationship with God but it’s just a reminder. My life is going to change in about 5 weeks and from now until then, I know I will have many moments of excitement, fear and apprehension. But I know that no matter where I am in my faith journey or where He takes me next, (even if it’s as far as South Africa), I know that He is always with me.

Caili