Today’s post was so amazing for me to write. Nearly ever person I meet asks me about this topic and I am so excited to share it with you. This is the story of my tattoo.
Let me preface this post by saying the following:
If you don’t know me personally, you might not be super shocked to hear I have a tattoo. You might think “oh, it’s normal to get small tattoos- sooo many people have them!”.
But y’all. If only you knew me personally. Because if you did, your reaction to me, Elle Eckersall, getting a tattoo, might be following:
(PSA- this is a real reaction from one of my friends.)
“Oh. My. Goodness. WHAAATTT?!! You, YOU, got a tattoo?! I never in a million years would expect you to get a tattoo! Elle, who have you become!!”
And yes, to be honest, I was a bit surprised that I got a tattoo. I’m a lil’, just a lil’ 😉 , bit type-A, I was one of the few who wore Abercrombie & Fitch collared shirts and Sperry’s in middle school even though I didn’t go to private school nor did I need to wear a uniform, and I guess I just don’t come across as the “type” who would have a tattoo— at least that’s what people have told me.
But about a year ago, my opinions on getting a tattoo changed. I started feeling like I needed a visible, permanent reminder of something so deeply important to me that I wanted it inked on my skin. I thought and prayed and spent nearly 365 days actively thinking about a tattoo. Not just any tattoo— something that was symbolic of my relationship with God and the gratitude I have for Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross.
That’s where the cross idea came about. I knew I wanted a cross for nearly a full year, but I felt like I needed guidance as to where the thin, black cross I wanted should be placed. I prayed and prayed and prayed for so many months and didn’t feel like I had a set answer. And, of course, I wasn’t going to get something tattooed onto my body that I wasn’t 100% sure about. But, I continued to trust that the Lord would give me guidance (in His time) as to where this tattoo should be placed.
Flash forward to this past July. I had continued to pray, asked just about every person/friend I knew that had a tattoo about the process (shout-out to my bff Paige for being the best tattoo educator— love you, P!) and kept drawing black crosses onto every imaginable crevice on my hands/wrists to see if I felt like it was the right place. Time was ticking—however— as I was to be leaving for college in just a few short weeks. Finally, less than 14 days before my scheduled flight to move into TCU, I decided to just schedule a day to go to the tattoo shop and pray that God would give me guidance once I got there.
I arrived at Deluxe Tattoo Shop in Chicago on Sunday, July 29th, with my mom and sisters as my support system (… cause y’all know I was going to be needing it). This was quite possibly one of the funniest moments of my life because every other person in the shop was tatted-up to the nines and here I come in, wearing overalls, nothing more than my ears pierced. Once there, I began talking with the tattoo artists about how I was struggling to decide where to place my tattoo. The receptionist brought over my tattoo artist, Donna Klein (who I LOVED and highly recommend using if you are considering a tat!), and the Lord made it so vividly clear as to where this cross should be: on my left wrist, directly down from my ring finger. Donna recommended it, drew it on my wrist, and I instantly felt God answer my prayer. This not only would be the visible reminder of how I want every moment of my life to be centered on Christ, but it is so much more than that; it is representative of how I want my life to be prioritized. First comes Jesus, then my husband (when I eventually get married), and the tattoo would be directly beneath my wedding ring.
About 20 minutes later, as I nervously sat in the chair and kept calling my mom over to check if she thought the placement of the cross looked right, Donna began tattooing this permanent, visible, 24/7 reminder of how I want each day to be lived for Christ and to be reminded of His goodness and sacrifice.
It’s now been a few months since that sunny day in July, and I can wholeheartedly say that this tattoo has been so much more than something meaningful to just me. God has used this tattoo as an opportunity to share my story and faith, each and every time someone asks me about it. Every time I look down, I see the cross and am reminded that there is so much goodness today and in every day yet to come.
Plus, I think it’s pretty darn cute. 😉
Always,
Elle
P.S.- If you have any more questions about my tattoo or the tattoo process, feel free to leave a comment or reach out to me!
