You're beautiful

You’re beautiful, made for so much more than all of this. You’re beautiful, you are treasured, you are sacred, you are His.

I’ve been thinking a lot about self image and body image of women. Especially those LOVELY women I hold so dearly. Out of 10 friends that I would consider to know well and have known the longest I would say 7 of us have pretty extreme body image issues. Some have gotten better over the years, some of us still struggle, for some of us it is just simply self-loathing and lack of ability to see ourselves how God sees us. And for others it is a harsh examination of every particle of food we stick in our mouths followed with guilt and more self-loathing from just feeding our bodies.

Where does this come from? Media? How our Mothers viewed themselves? Lies that we have allowed others to speak over us?

I can honestly say that just the other day being almost 16weeks pregnant I had the thought that for the first time maybe ever- I am very happy with how my body looks. (I say this meaning that for the first time while I have been healthy- I remember once years ago loving my body, but I was working out WAY to much and hardly eating) Yes my thighs are maybe flabbier than they were 4 months ago, my abdomen is starting to protrude, I am still short, I’m not a teeny tiny petite little thing, but I am a woman, being healthy, growing a human being.

It was very hard in those early weeks of pregnancy when my body was changing, but all that was happening is my pants were tight and I had an impressive little muffin top. There were a few times that I let my “self hatred” get out of hand and the look on my sweet husbands face when I would go off on my self was so sad. You see, he sees me for how I really am. He sees not only my physical beauty but my inner beauty. I truly am lucky to have a man like him to tell me everyday how beautiful I am.

So I guess what I am saying in all of this is WHY. I want to encourage us all to take a good look at ourselves. To spend some time in the Word looking at what God says about us. To embrace a healthy lifestyle, eating healthy foods, having a healthy exercise routine. To be honest and open about our bodies and where we truly are and what issues we have. As daughters of the King we have a responsibility to ourselves, to our daughters, and to our sisters & friends to stop this cycle of self hate and to encourage one another to be healthy and view ourselves and each other as God sees us.