Pierce Your Ears Day 2022 | JOY for Today

Making personal decisions that bring you JOY are certainly worth celebrating and piercing your ears just might be one of them. If piercing your ears is not for you, there is JOY in that too. 

Pierce Your Ears Day Points:

• Did You Know... One we did; four we didn't.
• Wolfe Stew Connects Musings from the Mrs.
• Bible Verses and Quotes Inspired by piercing your ears.
• Activity Suggestions Design, art, and reading.

Did You Know:

1. The oldest known piercings date back five thousand years? Europe's best-preserved corpse, Otzi, sported large, pierced ears suggesting heavy earrings were worn for most of his life. (Gemporia)
2. Ancient piercings served a purpose beyond fashion? Earrings were worn to signify economic status, ward off evil, symbolize desired attributes, and identify as a slave. (Marie Claire)
3. The Catholic church banned earrings in the 13th century? They believed ear piercings altered God's creation so should not be worn. Piercings remain a divisive topic in the Christian community. (Reader's Digest & Christianity.com)
4. During the Middle Ages explorers commonly pierced their ears? They believed piercing one ear improved long-distance vision and would pay for a Christian burial should their bodies not survive the expedition. (Afro Style Mag)
5. Pirates did indeed wear earrings? Young pirates were often awarded their first earring the first time they crossed the equator or after plundering their first ship. Additionally, sporting an earring often indicated survival of a shipwreck. Wearing earrings served as protection against seasickness, improved eyesight, and prevented drowning. (Gemporia)

We'd Love to Know:

Which fact most interests you?

Wolfe Stew Connects

Do not alter your body. This means no piercings, tattoos, or make-up and keep your hair long and undyed. These rules were part of my childhood. Many of my friends had pierced ears but I never considered it. It was not an option. 

The summer before sixth grade, I attended church camp. One of the pastors had a pierced ear - a pierced ear with a story that changed my perception of piercings. He told of the tradition described in Exodus 21:1-6:

A servant would serve his master for six years. In the seventh year, the servant was freed. However, if a servant wished to remain with his master, a formal ceremony was performed. The judges witnessed as the master attached the servant to the household by boring his ear with an awl into the door or door post. The bored ear symbolized the servant's unending attachment to the household.

The pastor explained his pierced ear symbolized his choice to eternally serve his Heavenly Master. 

When I made the choice to pierce my ears, it was not because of this story, but it has become a reminder for me. Each morning as I pierce an earring through the hole in my ear, I recommit myself to my Master. He was pierced for my transgressions to free me. Freely I return to Him. I choose to stay in my Master's household where JOYfully I will serve Him forever. His yoke is easy; His burden light (Matthew 11:30).

The Bible often asks us to use objects as a reminder of God. Proverbs 3:3 and Exodus 13:9 specifically mention objects kept close to us - around our neck, hand, or forehead.

My pierced ears remind me of my commitment to God. What do you use in your life to remind yourself of your commitment?

If you don't already have something, consider choosing an object that remains close to you. It helps! I have a nervous habit of playing with my earrings. Because of what they now symbolize, every time I touch them, I remember my commitment, am filled with peace, and my thoughts turn toward praise. 

Praising God in prayer is our GROWTH focus next week. We'll be responding to David's prayer of praise and listening to a Zach William's song that speaks comfort to my soul. If you'd like to join us in training with short, but impactful, Bible-based daily exercises, we'd love for you to join us. Let's end August training in prayers of praise, Warrior!

We'd Love to Know:

What helps you remember your commitment to God?

Bible Verses and Quotes 

• "But if the man shall plainly declare, 'I prefer my master, my wife, and my children, and I would rather not go free,' then his master shall bring him before the judges and shall publicly bore his ear with an awl, and after that he will be a slave forever." Exodus 21:5-6 TLB
• "This observance will be a reminder, like something tied on your hand or on your forehead; it will remind you to continue to recite and study the Law of the Lord, because the Lord brought you out of Egypt by his great power." Exodus 13:9 GNT
• "Do not let mercy and truth leave you. Fasten them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart." Proverbs 3:3 GW
• "You have been bought, and at what a price! Therefore bring glory to God both in your body and your spirit, for they both belong to him." I Corinthians 6:20 PHILLIPS
• "I put a jewel on your forehead, and earrings in your ears, and a beautiful crown on your head." Ezekiel 6:12 MEV

Quotes

• "All my jewelry has stories." - Eva Green
• "Jewelry is the most transformative thing you can wear." - Iris Apfel 
• "Left ear, I wear four earrings. The four is symbolic of the four seasons: spring, winter, summer, and fall; the four directions: north, east, south, and west; the four gospel writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John." - Mr. T 
• "Freedom meant for me to wear earrings, not freedom of speech. - Park Yeon-mi
• "You can always tell what kind of a person a man really thinks you are by the earrings he gives you." - Audrey Hepburn

We'd Love to Know:

Which verse or quote most relates to your feelings on earrings?

Activity Suggestions

While we could suggest piercing your ears today (and that's the obvious suggestion), we're not going to because it's a personal choice and clearly not one for everyone. Instead, we have a design, art, and reading activity for you!

Our Nephew's Suggestion:

(Big intake of breath) "NEVER DO THAT! It should be called, 'Don't Do This Day.'. . . Unless you're a girl, and you want to, then, I guess you can."

Our Suggestions:

Design an earring with personally meaningful symbolism as a "getting to know you" activity or for a character in a book as a comprehension activity. Our "draw and write" paper could work well for this activity.

1. Design an earring based on what you value (or a book character or historical figure values).
2. Diagram the symbolism of each part of the earring. 
3. Describe the motivation behind your design choices.

Draw inspired art with Johannes Vermeer's Girl with the Pearl Earring.

1. Discuss what learners notice about the painting.
2. Explore the motivation behind the title and imagine other possible titles.
3. Share what a portrait of you painted today might be titled.
4. Draw a portrait of another learner (or a self-portrait) and title it in a similar fashion as Girl with the Pearl Earring.
5. Present your portrait. Explain:
1. What you like about the final product.
2. What challenged you.
3. How you chose the title.

Read Earrings! by Judith Viorst; Illustrated by Nora Langer Malone.

We'd Love to Know: 

How you would celebrate Pierce Your Ears Day.

We’re excited to share one more day with you and wish you JOY for Today and HOPE for Tomorrow. Come back next week for...Labor Day!

Fighting the Good Fight with You,

Find even more JOY for Today in our monthly calendars, holiday, and seasonal posts.