Pierced.

i close one eye
and squint
and see a little blue gem
winking at me

I have always loved piercings. My parents were fairly friendly about it, and I watched more than once as a belly piercing went on with my sister and her friends or an earring was added to big brother.
I was fine until a respected teacher in highschool gave us all a good “biblical” talk about how ungodly all piercings were, and threw me into a tizzy about my “sinful desires.” But then a friend debunked that for me with the thought, “So what if it used to mean slavery? It meant you loved your master so much you never wanted to leave, even if you could!” I had known Papa as Master before, and quieted my soul to the thought that I was marking myself as His forever.
Just one day after I graduated, my dad took me to get 2nd holes in my ears.
For a year, I studied and argued and hem’d and haw’d about getting anything more visible. I have heard and considered every argument out there, from workplace viability to eventual aging, placement, spirituality, the whole works.
And then.
While not one for much Bible reading, I sat meself down for a hard look at what Papa REALLY said.
And what I found has changed my world.
Ezekiel Chapter 16 is one of my very most favorite passages. In it, Papa describes His passionate ardor for His People, embodying them in the likeness of a woman. This woman is abandoned as a little baby, fresh from the womb. He speaks life to her and takes her in as his ward, cleans her, clothes her and gives her precious and rare gifts from all over the world. And in verse 12, specifically states “a ring for your nose, earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head.”
The rest of the story you may read for yourself, but this thudded into my being that nose adornments were a chosen gift of God Himself!
And the cross reference was no less breathtaking. In Genesis 24, Abraham has sent his servant to find a bride for Issac. And when the sign has been given that she is the one, the servant gives her a gift. Verse 47 says “the ring in her nose and the bracelets on her arms.”
It just makes me want to do a little dance to know that one of the Matriarchs of the Torah had a nose ring.
So knowing it was permissible and I had Papa’s blessing, the only question was when and where.
In May of 2009, when I was rediscovering my bashert Treader, out of the blue on Mother’s Day Papa told me to go get it done. I was ecstatic, and immediately told Treader. While telling him about my journey to this point, I realized that I wanted him there with me. And that I was very short on cash. And he had a piercing needle kit, having been quite the punk in his hey-day. So I asked him to pierce my nose.
Oh, he was nervous! We boiled the piercing needle and stud, both washed thoroughly, wore gloves, cleaned with alcohol and sterile bandages, the whole bit. There was quite a bit of blood, and yes, it did smart for a while.
And as it healed, and our relationship grew, I came to realize what an amazing choice I had been led to make.
This man had not just pierced my flesh, but my heart. I allowed him into not only my space, but my soul. He had given me the fine gift of a bride, and that autumn I became one. He had marked me. In that dusky May moment, though I was not conscious of it, I felt as Mr. Darcy did. “You have bewitched me, body and soul.”
Over time, this tiniest of adornments has been my weather vane for jobs and friends. Even if I get censure on a first impression, it’s a fabulous conversation starter—no one who knows this story has continued to disapprove of it. But I have had the grace to turn down jobs rather than remove it. The one time I removed it to get a job was the worst mistake of my career and only lasted a week. This is a gift from my Papa and my husband, both of whom come before all else in my life.
In all honesty I would sooner remove my wedding ring than my little gem.
It is a symbol of my faith, my trust in my husband, and the moment our spirits sparked to one another, remembering that we were destined for each other since before time began.