Piercings

On Wednesday I got a piercing! Finally!! I have wanted one for a very long time, but something had always held me back. I think it’s just that I was born into a society or sub-culture where I felt that my only choice was to have long blonde limp hair, dress plainly, and somehow that made me “innocent”. What does that mean anyway? But now that I’ve cut and dyed my hair, and now have a piercing in my eyebrow, I feel that I’ve been set free in a way to be me. I know that not many people will understand this. After all, I’m supposed to be a missionary, right? I have prayed a lot about it, and I feel peace. I have talked to HC a lot about it – even when I was here the first time around. For him, he really wants to get a tattoo, but God keeps telling him no. God has freed him to get piercings, but not to get a tattoo. It’s so important to ask God’s opinion about this stuff. He knows!!

HC was telling me that there’s a passage in the Bible (Genesis 24) that talks about piercings, but not in a way that most people think. Abraham had sent a servant to find a wife for his son Isaac. The servant found Rebekah who came out and gave him water, and also gave water to his camels. God showed him that she was the one, so he took out a nose ring and some bracelets and put them on her. That was a sign of her commitment to be faithful to the man that she was to be given to. You see, all piercings have meanings and purpose. But also they can be to decorate. God loves to decorate his creation – just look at the sunrise or a rainbow or the stars at night! The problem comes when someone goes to an extreme or does it to get attention or because they don’t know who they are. As HC says, you need to know who you are or else Satan can use you. You need to be firm in Christ – realizing who you are. Every day it seems that I am seeing more of who I am and becoming more confident and happy with her.

Also a great story: The guy who did my piercing could not believe that HC and I are Evangelical Christians! He had had a horrible experience with the church beforehand, in that they told him that he is going to hell because of his piercings and tattoos. (What kind of a loving church is that??!?!) This has been a great opportunity for us to reach out to him and his hurt. HC is going to get another piercing, so we will see him again soon. We are praying that God will open the door once more for the gospel of LOVE to be presented more fully to him. Thank you God! See? If there were no Christians who got piercings, who would be able to have experiences like this?? ;P