Reading a Scary Man’s Tattoo

This story can only be God’s hand on my life: God opens doors for me that sort of freak me out a bit….
One afternoon I was at Walgreen’s waiting in line to check out when I started reading the tattoos on the man’s arms ahead of me. He was a big biker kind of man, honestly he looked a bit scary to me. His arm read, “Am I too far gone to be saved?” My heart was pounding as I read him. I backed off – yet felt compelled to talk with him. I had no idea what to say, so I stalled. He finished his purchase and headed out the door. Secretly I was glad. But as I finished my purchase I saw him again at the ATM by the door, he walked out just ahead of me. I hesitated again, not knowing what to say but feeling compelled to share something with him.

On an impulse that gave me courage, I called out to him across the parking lot! “EXCUSE ME SIR, can I talk with you?” I hurried over to him, and said I had read his tattoo, and that God had prompted me to ask him about it. He said the words were from the lyrics of a band he liked and he told me the band’s name. I realized that my husband knows the lead in that band! I asked him if he knew that the lead was “SAVED”. I put little air finger quotes around the word saved, so as to help send the meaning home. He knew what I meant and was shocked. I assured him, he wasn’t too far gone to be saved and I shared my testimony with him. He shared that he felt like an outlaw, and thanked me with a choked up voice, and we parted. I sat in my car and cried.

I don’t know what God did with this interaction, I pray to meet the ‘Scary Man’ on the other side of eternity.

Tara – Rockland MA – April 19, 2013