You are Beautiful

Sport's Illustrated called and wanted me to be in their next swimsuit edition... 

they said they were looking for someone with a perfectly toned & proportioned body with no imperfections and who looked great in a swimsuit.

This person needed to be beautiful with perfectly flawless skin, shimmering hair, diamond white teeth, and a smile that was to die for.

I laughed and told them they must have the wrong number. 

My body happens to be opposite of that.

It also happens to be the body that miraculously carried, labored, birthed, and has cared for my 4 beautiful babies that I wouldn't trade for anything....especially a body that is swimsuit edition worthy.

It is also the body that God has given me.

It also shouldn't define my self-worth.

But rather than looking in the mirror and saying, "Oh, those stretch marks, fat in places I never knew existed, sagging skin, and extra pounds....they don't make me feel bad about myself."

I should say, "I am beautiful and loved...not because of who I am on the outside, but the inside."

However, I may or may not have become emotionally hysterical when trying to find something that fits and makes me feel good about myself for church on Sunday.

I also may or may not have decided the person who invented the mirror was a skinny man.

So instead of beating myself up about the lengthy list of my body's imperfections...

I should be embracing my internal beauty and more importantly my Savior's words:

I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Do I believe this?

Psalm 139.

¹³ For you created my inmost being;

you knit me together in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

your works are wonderful,

I know that full well.

¹⁵ My frame was not hidden from you

when I was made in the secret place,

when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.

¹⁶ Your eyes saw my unformed body;

all the days ordained for me were written in your book

before one of them came to be.

¹⁷ How precious to me are your thoughts, God!

How vast is the sum of them!

¹⁸ Were I to count them,

they would outnumber the grains of sand—

Do you believe this?

Song of Solomon 4:7

You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is no flaw in you.

when I awake, I am still with you.

So my body looks a little different today than it did 10 years ago.

Even if it isn't perfect, I still need to take care of it.

What does that mean?

For me right now with 4 small children, it means taking the pressure off myself to instantly shed my baby pounds, squeeze in my workout daily, and to make it into next year's swimsuit edition.

There are seasons of Motherhood.

You may be in a season that allows you to join a gym, workout daily and eat right.

Or you may be in a season that means working out is carrying your little ones around while running errands, walking to the park, playing in the backyard and eating mac and cheese for lunch.

Either way, it is important to take care of ourselves physically, spiritually, & emotionally.

Pray while you walk in the morning while your sweet little ones are still sleeping.

Read your bible while you exercise, or listen to worship music while you ride bike.

Find a friend to hold you accountable to changing a little bit each day. 

Throw away your mirrors...or at least your bad attitude when you look in them.

Most importantly, what is your motivation in desiring to shed those pounds, firm up that baggy skin, and look better in the jeans that have become dusty on the shelf?

Is it to feel better about yourself?

 Or is it to glorify God?

I pray you will quiet your mind and search for encouragement, strength, and listen to the Lord's sweet and perfect words...

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.