It comes by no surprise to me that when anyone sees that I have a sock tattooed on my wrist they immediately ask why on earth I get a sock tattoo, or just look at me like I have lost my mind. I 100 percent feel like those questions are absolutely justified because it is honestly really weird, and I get that. But, it isn't just a reminder for me to wear socks. This tattoo actually has a significant meaning, a strategic placement, and a vulnerable past. I am so excited to share this with you and I hope that you will see the method to my madness after reading this!
When I was in high school, I struggled deeply with self-worth. There was honestly nothing about myself that I could have said I loved and I didn't understand my purpose. I honestly felt like I was wasting space and just coasting through life. I never saw the beauty then that I see now when I look at myself, and that triggered a lot of destruction in my life. From fixating my life on a boy to struggling with an eating disorder, I was on a fast track to nowhere good and the people around me could see this happening. I can't even count the many wonderful people who tried to love and encourage me out of this seemingly perpetual cycle of devastation, and for each of them, I am thankful. But, nothing helped...
Until one day, I heard something that I had heard countless times before, but this time was different. This time was personal, raw, and I was desperate for hope. This time, I felt Jesus say to me,
"Kaitlyn, I died for you. I gave my life so that you could have yours. Don't you know that I love you? If you only knew the way I see you and how much I value you...it's immeasurable."
And that was the moment my whole world turned upside down. You see, I knew this. I knew that Jesus had died for me and that He loves me, but for some reason, the severity and the relevance of those facts struck my heart in a new and inexplicable way. This changed so much for me and I am literally so, so thankful for that. I am so aware of the love that Jesus has for me and when I start to doubt my value or worth, I look at the cross. I am so thankful for this revelation in my heart.
Okay, so this is all great...but this has absolutely nothing to do with a sock (hold on like two more seconds, it's coming)!
Here's where it changes: there are so many people who feel just like I did, if not worse. There are so many people who feel worthless...just about as worthless as a single sock. A sock without its pair is useless. We throw them away or find some other use for them that is below its value by far. People feel like this and I can't stand that. The fact that someone feels about as worthless as a single sock breaks my heart...and the thought that they might not even know the love and hope of Jesus Christ is something that will forever burden my heart. I want to do everything I can for everyone I meet to make them feel valued and loved...because they are. I want people to know that they are worth more than they can know in the eyes of Christ. And I want people to ask me why I have a sock on my wrist so I can tell them that. Living a life bound by the chains of worthlessness and shame is exhausting and it discounts the true beauty of life.
Friends, you are so much more than the flaws you have, or the wrongs you've done, or the times you have failed. You are loved. You are adequate. You are enough.
This is why I wear a sock on my wrist. I hope that at least one person has benefited from it and I hope that as you read this you were able to see that you are sought after recklessly by the love of God. Please know that this isn't some cool thing I have made up on my own. I take no credit for the fact that God is still in the business of redeeming people and extending grace. Thank you so much for reading. God bless!
*Please know that I have nothing against socks in anyway at all...I actually really enjoy them (it's all for the sake of the metaphor).*
