Tats, Toes, And The Masks That Hide Them

Walking into a church as I walked away from my outlaw biker lifestyle brought a few realizations. The first was that my wardrobe was quite different. I definitely stood out among the rest. I'd ride in on the back of an old bike which was always rather loud and dirty; definitely old school. My clothes were often very dusty as I lived on a ranch with acres of dirt. Therefore, my black leather boots were usually filthy. When I wore sandals, my feet were dusty and very calloused! Then there were my tattoos. Tats were also not visible on too many people in my church. I definitely felt like an outcast and had the past to go right along with it.

I knew this was my home church when I first visited. The reason is because I had already met several people through my work at Starbucks who attended there. Not knowing this, I was pleasantly surprised with nearly a dozen warm hugs during my first visit there. Those people met me while I was working in uniform. They had already come to know some of who I was. When I was with them at church, they would introduce me to others. Too often I would experience some pretty wierd and judgmental glares; from my tat on my chest all the way down to my calloused feet and unpainted toes.

This became increasingly bothersome to me; to the point that I began hiding my feet! Give me a break! Now I had to sandpaper my feet and polish my toes to be accepted by the women in my church? Now my tats were a bit different. I simply show those off. I began wearing blouses with a pattern that complimented my art work. More and more people are now expressing themselves and their life stories through body art anyway. My tattoos are a conversation starter to tell of where the Lord has brought me from; out of bondage. The feet continued to be an issue until this weekend. Thank you, Lord, for showing me how the condition of my feet are a beautiful testimony of my journey!

While on retreat earlier this year, I brought this up to another sister from my church. She shared she had the same experience! How amused and relieved I was to meet someone else with ugly feet! I began to mask my feet and my tattoos for a couple of reasons; the facial expressions, glares and stares, body language from the not very loving Christians, and my own insecurities and shame.

I am quite amazed at the number of women the Lord has brought my way who share these same feelings about their tats and toes. There is much shame already associated to much of our body art. God has worked through mine and I no longer live in bondage to it. This is certainly not the case for many others. I could write an entire blog on tattooing!

Whether a tattoo or calloused feet, "The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." 1 Samuel 16:7

Do you think the Pharisees judged people by the condition of their feet? From the Roman Centurions to the poor Shepherds; they all wore sandals and had very rough feet. It was quite customary to offer water to houseguests so they may wash their feet upon entering, or go as far as to wash their feet for them. Even Jesus washed the feet of the Apostles on the evening of the last supper.

'When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. "Do you understand what I have done for you?" he asked them. "You call me 'Teacher' and 'Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them." - John 13:12-17


"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command." John 15:12-14

Mark 10:45, “The Son of Man is come not to be served but to serve and give His life a ransom.”

We must take care of our feet to keep walking and do the work God has called us to. Our feet are not meant to sparkle and shine, but to show the work we put our hands and feet to. I'm content and not ashamed of my calloused and boot-worn feet. If we are to be the Lord's hands and feet, I believe it is perfectly fine to show a bit of wear and tear, don't you?

My friend, Becky, described her callused feet show the travels of many miles through rough terrains. "They are my witness of my journey. I don't hide my battle scars as this is my testimony of the blows I survived and walked away from. This has been the fire that tested my faith. These calluses established my faith and they are part of who God created me to be."

I do believe it is time for a feet washing ceremony. I'll wash your feet. Would you wash mine?