A Walking Tattoo of Serenity

I am discovering that people who have tattoos on their bodies enjoy telling people about them.
I was at a convenience store yesterday in Mason City, Iowa named "Kum and Go" (Yep... that really is the name!)
As we paid for our junk food fix a young lady was walking out the door ahead of me.
She wore short shorts exposing the full length of her long legs, flip flops and a black tank top.
On her left shoulder blade was a tattoo that had several lines of words.
It looked like a poem.
I was trying to read it and the lady was walking too fast for me to read all the verses.
She hurried out the door and started walking to her car.
I shouted out, "Hey! You're walking too fast. I can't read your tattoo."
She turned right away and said, "Oh... here you go" backing up to me so that I could see her left shoulder. The verse was obscured by her left tank top strap which she quickly removed exposing her whole left shoulder blade.

Here's what I read...

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

After reading it, I shouted,  "The Serenity Prayer!"

She turned around and faced me while pulling up her strap. 

She looked surprised at my knowledge of the prayer and said, "Yes... that's right."

I asked her, "Do you know who authored that prayer."

Puzzlement drifted all over her face and she replied, "No."

I offered her the answer...

"Reinhold Niebuhr - he was a popular theologian back in the 1950's or so."

The puzzlement left her face and she said, "Wow... Cool!"

As I turned to walk away I said, "Have a great day."

I think she did...

I know I did!

My iWitness...

Tattoos are billboards for people to express their beliefs, passions, hopes, dreams, addictions and also to pay tribute to their idols, children, family members and friends.

Yesterday, I discovered a walking tattoo of Serenity...

For all of our spiritual nourishment today, here is the Serenity Prayer in its entirety...

God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.

Living one day at a time;
Enjoying one moment at a time;
Accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
Taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it; 

Trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
That I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
Forever in the next.
Amen.

--Reinhold Niebuhr

Amen and Amen!

And that's my iWitness...
Laugh often and Fear not!
David!