A 'final' personal thought from me.. (yeah, right!)
Peace, ya'll!
I had my son circumcised, I think on day three (didn't know anything about eight day at the time). Why? Because my stepfather, who was not circumcised HAD to be at about age 46. He said it was the MOST humiliating and painful thing he'd ever undergone. It took him about a week to recover. Was he hygenically unclean? Oh, heck no! This 'dude'... was 'dapper'... and I mean. It's just that he got a 'bacterial infection' due to an 'abrasion' that just never healed right. Antibiotics couldn't cut it (my Lord knows this was probably WAY more than you all wanted to hear... and certainly more than he'd want me to tell... but again, we're all adults for the most part, yes?)
I pierced my daughters ears myself, when she was three weeks old. I bought those 'self-piercing' earrings... the ones that pierce gradually due to released spring pressure... and put 'em on. She took about a three-hour nap and by the time she woke up, those suckers had gone through her tender ears. She never knew what hit her. Was I wrong? Well, when she was 16, she came to me and said, "Mom, sit down. We gotta talk." OH, LORDY!! 16... and 'we gotta talk'??!!! No, no, no, no, noooooooooooo...
So, I sat down, took her hand and said, "Whatever it is you gotta tell me, just know that I love you and we'll get through it... together (please Father, HELP me mean this; HELP me stay calm and cool and 'practice' what I just 'preached' to my daughter).
"Well, Mom, I know you have rules and things, but, well... I've done something you might not like." (Oh, LORD! She's only 16! How in the world are we gonna raise...)
At that moment, she pulled up her shirt... and showed me... a navel piercing.
OH HAPPY DAYYYYYYYYY!!!
Since that time, she had her ears pierced again to make a second set of holes (which she has let close because she didn't like 'the look' after all), her nose pierced to sport a tiny diamond chip (which she let close to get a job)... and three tatoos... at least one of which she regrets.
I remember asking my Lord about the tatoos... "The SOCIETY said tatoos are 'taboo'... and now that I've read it, so does the Law Covenant." His answer? "You gonna make her stop eating ham sandwiches and shrimp, too? The Law Covenant, child, was IMPALED... with me. There is a NEW Covenant now, and my Father doesn't see what is on the OUTSIDE... but what is on the inside."
My circumcised son is 19; my pierced and tatooed daughter is 23. And they are two of my BEST friends in this entire world. They love me... absolutely... and they love my Father and my Lord even more. Their flesh may be 'mutilated'... but their hearts... are intact. Oh, and they are both still spouseless... and childless.
Again, I bid you all peace...
A slave of Christ who is also a VERY blessed and grateful mom...
SJ