My rainbow lily tattoo started with the desire for a tattoo of a rainbow. As I laid the desire for a rainbow tattoo at the feet of Jesus, he slowly transformed my vision for the tattoo. It started with the desire for a rainbow because of a rainbow's beauty, but also because of what they represent. Rainbows represent God's promise not to flood the Earth again and his covenant with his creatures, "And God said, 'This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come" (Genesis 9:12). Rainbows also symbolize redemption. After a fierce storm a rainbow always comes out to make the sky beautiful again; the rainbow redeems the storm and when God flooded the Earth it was his attempt to redeem mankind. Other revelations I have about rainbows go on and on:
God told me I am a rainbow because I am redeemed.
There are seven colors of a rainbow and we live in a seven day week because the Earth was created in seven days (including the day of rest, I know) and so God does not redeem
some of creation or
some of our lives, but
all, all seven days!
Our sin is like the storm that God redeems.
God wanted to rescue mankind and make them holy again, that's why he flooded the Earth. But he also wants to cherish us, that's why he promised never to flood the Earth again.
So those are most of my rainbow revelations and all that rainbows mean to me. The beginning of transformation for this tattoo was during my time serving on the kids team one Sunday at church. I was coloring with a little girl and wanted to draw her a flower. So I asked the little girl what her favorite color was, she looked up at me, bright-eyed and grinning she said, "All of them."
I had been praying so much at this point about my tattoo idea, so you can imagine my joy in hearing that response. I took it as a reply from God that he approved of me getting a rainbow tattoo and then I proceeded to draw the little girl a rainbow flower.
During worship in the next service it occurred to me that I could get the rainbow I wanted in a flower, to me this was the Holy Spirit. And so I could picture it in my head; a rainbow flower tattoo . . . But what kind of flower?
Well I wasn't sure what kind of flower just yet, but I already knew what a flower in general meant to me, so I started journaling about them during service. I wrote that flowers represent life, and beautiful life. They symbolize growth and roots. Then I thought of this verse, "The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God endures forever" (Isaiah 40:8). That made me think that a flower tattoo would not wither because a tattoo is forever on my skin just as the word of God is eternal and does not perish, (I know that tattoos don't stay perfect forever because our skin ages, but the point is it's there forever).
At home I went onto Blue Letter Bible and looked up flowers in the Bible and the most common flower in the Bible is a Lily! So I instantly decided on a lily without know what they meant for sure yet. When I did finally look up what a lily symbolized I learned two major things: lilies represent purity and the Lily of the Valley in Song of Songs 2:1 is sometimes a symbol for Christ.I was stunned when I learned they represented purity! The word 'purity' pretty much sums up the season I've been in for the past four months. My mind was set, I would get a rainbow lily tattoo.
So the rainbow means a lot on its on and so does the lily. However, together they mean several other things. The rainbow represents promise and the lily represents beautiful life, so it is a promise for life and life abundantly (John 10:10). Another way is represents life and life abundantly is because God doesn't just forgive our sin for us to try on our own again, it is not like pulling all the weeds out of a field and then letting the weeds grow again. God pulls out our weeds, our sin, to make us clean again and then plants a beautiful garden--that is grace, freedom and abundant life!
The rainbow came after God flooded the Earth in attempts to redeem mankind and Jesus was the Lily of the Valley who
has redeemed mankind, so in a sense a rainbow lily is the story of a Father's love to redeem us and make us holy again!
The rainbow represents a covenant and the word of God stands firm forever, unlike flowers of the field but a tattoo flower is forever, and so together that represents that my covenant with God is unchanging and will not wither.
The colors of a rainbow are beautiful and flowers bloom brand new again each year just as God makes us new and beautiful over and over again!
Sometimes I get a new meaning for it each day. Yesterday it meant freedom. I was looking at it in the sunlight and it was at its brightest. It reminded me of how when we live in the light of Christ we are at our best; in the light of Christ we are truly free and truly alive.
Today it reminded me of prayer. In Heaven there is a rainbow over the thrown of God (Revelation 4:3) and Jesus (Lily of the Valley) is at the right hand of the throne of God interceding for us (Romans 8:34)) and so today it inspired me to be heartfelt about all my prayers.
So to sum it up, this little rainbow lily means to me grace, freedom, redemption, rescue, love and prayer.
I would not be surprised if this one little tattoo had a new meaning every single day for the rest of my life. Our God is infinite, he will make it infinitely meaningful.
When I was in 7th grade I would raise my hand in
class and ask if I could go use the restroom. I wouldn't really go to the
bathroom. I would walk to the doors at the end of the hallway and stare out the
windows. I would stare out at the mountains far away and the neighborhood right
in front of me. I hated it all. I associated the beautiful Rocky Mountains with
all of my family’s tragedies. I would stare out at the street roads and
daydream about running away. I would think; Maybe
tonight I’ll pack a bag with money, clothes and food to runaway tomorrow. I
never did runaway, but for years I wanted to out of bitterness towards my
family and the mountains.To the right is the view I grew up with from my back porch (stunning, I know). I know it’s not the mountain’s fault my family was so
broken, I never really thought a mountain could be to blame. I guess I always
just wondered what it would've been like if I had grown up somewhere else.
Maybe if I had grown up on a beach my parents wouldn't have gotten divorced, naive to think, I know, but I was young and naive. So that’s what I thought, and that’s why my bitterness towards my broken family
was associated with the mountains. Countless times throughout middle school and
high school I dreamed of leaving and never coming back. I wanted to get out of
that town and be done with my past. My eighth grade year I thought that one day when I finally
got to leave it would be like revenge towards my ex-step-mom. I always thought
to myself; One day I’ll drive away and never look back, just like she did to me
and my dad. During my junior year of high school I had a somewhat serious
boyfriend. I told him I wanted to move after high school and he never really
believed in me because he wanted to get married and live in the mountains
together. When we broke up I remember thinking; I’ll get out of this town just like he never thought I could. Countless
times my dreams of leaving Colorado were about bitterness.
The last 6 months in Colorado before I moved to Austin God
completely redeemed my heart towards my home town in Colorado; Colorado Springs. I am beyond proud of where I come from. The mountains are beyond beautiful and I am love with my family—no matter how broken. Today I am on a plane headed back to Colorado Springs to visit my family and I could honestly cry because I am so filled with joy to visit my home town. My heart is literally jumping with excitement in my chest in excitement to see Pikes Peak! If that is not redemption, I don’t know what is. I used to cry when I looked at Pikes Peak and I would think; I hate that stupid mountain. I never would've
dreamed God could redeem my heart and family so much; but He really has! And I
am in awe!
