You Are Beautiful! (Really!)

Dear Amy,

How are you so good at saying exactly what I need to hear? There are times when I'm not cognisant of the Gospel message and its implications in my life. I forget that it's not just acceptable but essential to rely on Grace when I'm in trouble. I'm taking some time today to praise God and rest at His feet. Feels good.

Today I want to address an issue that has been weighing on my heart--literally! As you know, I've been wrestling with my weight for a couple years now. For those of you just joining us, I haven't always been a big girl. This is me, just three years ago:

 I'm the one on the right with the hideous, self-made side bangs.

And this is me now, a few short months ago at my wedding:

The difference is pretty noticeable, eh?

This isn't so much a post about how I'm trying to lose weight--I am, but that's not relevant. Nor is this a self-deprecating post about how I dislike the 60 pounds I've packed on in the last two years. 

This is a celebratory post.

I think that we, as women, put a lot of emphasis on our size. Our sense of beauty is so wrapped up in fitting into those size two jeans or that mini-dress. We watch our calorie intake and beat up on ourselves when we overshoot. Many of us develop eating disorders. I'm not saying that wanting to be small is bad. What I'm saying Tim Keller already said better: 

We, as human beings, take good things and turn them into ultimate things.

That's a paraphrase, but whatever. Being skinny is great if you're in good physical shape. But making it the goal of our lives--evenly unconsciously--is to miss the point entirely. It's taking something that is good and turning it into something ultimate. It's time we started celebrating our beautiful bodies for the shape and size they are at that time. God gave us ALL beautiful bodies so that we could rejoice in them!

There are honestly times when I love how I look. I love the softness. I love the curves. Every fold and stretch mark. And I think that's a good thing. It's a feeling I want to achieve more often. We talked about New Year's Resolutions a couple posts ago, right? Well, this year, I want to wake up each morning and celebrate my body for the way it looks on that day. As I grow smaller, I want to remember that, even at my biggest, I was celebrated!

Your move, Circus Time.

Love,
Erin