Female Body Blues

ELLO......Sorry I have not posted in a while. I know, I really need to be more consistent but since my summer break has now commenced you will definitely be hearing or should I say reading more.
               
The other day I was youtubing, just looking at fashion and hair tutorials (this won't surprise some) and I was watching a girl who does alot of fashion related stuff but she recently posted a video about her body image and her struggle to be perfect. I was quite touched and thought I should write something about the body image blues I used to have. This may not apply to everyone but I've realised there's power in your experience or testimony and sometimes as Christians we shout out our blessings but hide our struggles, the very thing people need to hear in order to relate and know that Christ can do the same for them too.


From since I can remember I have always been quite slim however this never bothered me until I reached secondary school - a time of mental, emotional and physical refurbishment for many. We become more conscious of our bodies and the influence they have on the opposite sex. People were growing mountains in the front and hills at the back and I thought it only seemed like yesterday when we were all wearing vests.

Anyway my physical development seemed to be more gradual than others and to be honest I hated it, but the thing about me was I learnt to perfect pretend-confidence. People would give me compliments about the way I carried myself but in my head I compared my body to others, and was never content. 

I laugh now because I remember when my mum used to tell me that I complained too much and that she once was quite slim. She told me that I would stop complaining once I got older.

People would make comments about my body and there was a period in my life when it really got to me. Some people were generally concerned but some just wanted to talk, but hey that's not new.

There was actually a time when I became quite fixated on putting on weight and getting bits and bobs and I began to drink nourishment drinks and other protein shakes. It was when I began to go to the toilet a bit more often than usual that I actually realised how ridiculous it was getting - it was not cute. I then asked myself why am I actually doing this? To conform? To impress? To get attention? After that experience I realised that I had no reason not be content.

As children of God, male or female, we should equate the creation (us) with the creator, so my problem wasn't that there was something wrong me but the problem was that I could not accept that there wasn't.

We are in a world driven by looks, the possessions we have and the status we uphold. Everywhere we look, 'live' or on paper, there is a standard presented of how to look and behave but we are not called to live according to the standards of this world (1 John 2:15-17).

I am not condemning the use of protein shakes, or the use of a treadmill to lose weight but whilst getting to where you want to be physically always have in mind why you're doing it so you don't lose your identity to this world in the process.

Are there still bits of my body I wouldn't mind tweeking? Yeah but I've learnt to embrace my body.

A bit too enthusiastic? LOL

Be healthy,be content and think about the creator next time you think of the creation as rubbish (Ephesians 2:10) 


Be encouraged!