TOUGH TATTOO
When my daughter Shelby graduated from High School, I took her to a tattoo parlor for her Grad gift! Call me a bad parent and say what you like, but this is a tattoo that just had to be inked!
During her last year of High School, Shelby’s desire to get a tattoo of the Hebrew word for “endure” kept increasing. She researched Hebrew words, sketched it, had Todd sketch, researched tattoo artists and kept talking about how ‘one day’ she was going to get this tattoo. It wasn’t an if, in her mind, it was a when.
Not Just a Rebellious Teen
This was more than a rebellious teenager’s want for a tattoo to look cool.
You see, graduating high school and getting this far in life, just being alive hadn’t been a cakewalk for Shelby, and at the time of writing the devotion it didn’t seem like it was going to get much easier as an oral surgeon had put Shelby on a soft-food diet for two months to ward off the need for jaw surgery.
Eating mushy foods alleviated her from having to go under the knife but unfortunately didn’t take her pain away, and this is just one of the many health issues she’s had to endure.
Powerful Reminder
Every time Shelby feels like life is too hard like she can’t make it through, she looks down at her wrist and the word Endure. It reminds her of how God’s helped her in the past and gives her the faith to believe she can rise above the current circumstance.
HEBREWS 12:7 encourages us to Endure hardship
Jesus’ knew life wouldn’t be a cake-walk so he put encouragement in His Word to help you face trouble head-on, with strength and resiliency. You too can endure. You can make it through the tough stuff.
Joshua Had to Endure
In Joshua chapter 1, God was empowering Joshua with His words by telling him to “be strong and courageous, and then he’d emphasize it by saying… “Always be strong and courageous.”
“Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their forefathers to give them. Be strong and very courageous.” (Joshua 1:6)
No Cake Walk
God commissioned Joshua to lead the nation of Israel stuck in the desert for four decades to inherit the land, but it wasn’t going to be a “cake-walk” for them either!
The Israelites had to “endure” a lot of battles to fulfill all of God’s plans for their lives and make it to the Promised Land, so He kept reminding them to “Be strong and courageous”.
I’m so proud of Shelby! Like Joshua and all the Israelites, she’s learned to be an overcomer by living out this verse. She’s strong and courageous, and you can be too! God will give you what it takes to endure, so you, get to your Promised Land!
***Check below to find the link to Shelby’s interview on Soul H2O Radio
PRAYER
Father… I thank-you that you give me what it takes to endure! May I be strong and courageous in all that life throws at me, trusting you will be with me all the way to the Promised Land! In Jesus Name…Amen!
- Hebrews 12:7
- Joshua 1:6-7
- Matthew 24:13/Mark 13:13/Luke 21:19
- Romans 15:4
Shelby’s Interview on the Soul H2O Radio & Podcast Show
Season # 3 // Episode # 54
TOUGH TATTOO
Release Date: 2021-02-06 @ 12pm EST / Podcast releases at 3pmEST.
Replaying Friday 2021-02-12 @ 2pm
Streaming on: joyradio.ca & MyJoyRadio App.
Uploaded as Soul H2O Podcast on iTunes & Spotify Wherever you listen to podcasts.
Shelby’s Blog: http://www.faithandlace.weebly.com
Shelby’s Blog that tells a bit of what she’s had to “endure” https://faithandlace.weebly.com/blog/what-is-your-cross
ORIGINALLY POSTED: June 23, 2014
