I've decided I have to make friends with this 55-year-old body I inhabit. I noticed while lying on the floor on a yoga mat that it has gotten harder to put my legs over my head because my stomach gets in the way now!
I knew I needed an attitude change when I felt God say to me, "What if I want you to be chubby?" and I had no answer for him.
I had no problem when he asked me "to believe no matter what" (I said yes enthusiastically). After that question, over the next few years, we almost lost our house to foreclosure; our oldest daughter went through months of doctors trying to find the answer to her pain (we did finally get answers and a solution); my husband had a seizure (first time ever) at work and was rushed to the hospital; and our middle daughter died suddenly. Through it all I held on tight to Jesus. And he got us through everything.
He still is getting us through of course. But not being able to say yes to the idea of being chubby made me realize that I still, after so many years of walking with Jesus, have body issues. I'm embarrassed to even admit that because I've been a Christian since March 6, 1988, and read the Bible daily. I love to read the Bible. It is one of my favorite things to do. I've seen God bring about financial miracles in our lives over and over throughout the years. I've seen people accept Christ. I've seen God lead my husband into ministry (and my husband is a dynamic preacher -- the best one I have ever listened to). God has brought me through so much stuff -- some really serious stuff. So how come I can't get over my changing body?
You know what post-menopausal changes seem like to me? They are like puberty in reverse. During puberty our bodies change dramatically to give us strong adult bodies that can take on the world. After menopause our bodies change and settle and can even horrify us to what they become. But without our bodies we wouldn't be able to live our lives or walk this earth.
I feel like I'm talking to so many people about this. This has got to be my third blog post on it, but I'm still figuring this out with God's help. And no wonder people deal with body issues. Weight loss is a hot topic for headlines. People love to see before and after pictures. We read about celebrities losing weight or using some new-fangled drug. People comment favorably on someone's weight loss not knowing why a person lost weight. Sometimes people gain weight because of medication. Sometimes people lose weight because they are very sick.
We Christians should be free of this body stuff for sure because we know our present bodies will be replaced with resurrected bodies one day. We will be changed forever in a twinkling of an eye! I want to see everyone, including myself, through Jesus's eyes. Every single one of us are sacred and beautiful and we should be able to see the exquisite treasure each of us are. Every wrinkle, every freckle, every spot, every lump -- all are treasured by Almighty God. And they should be treasured by us too instead of demeaned and hated and sculpted away or cut off.
So, hello Body. I want to be your friend. Please teach me how.