Hey, hey, hey! Happy Wednesday, guys!
Today I want to talk about something that's been on my mind and heart lately; something that God helped me to overcome (or work towards overcoming) this morning during my devotional. I want to talk about loving ourselves the way God loves us. Ready? Let's go! :)
As every pregnant woman knows, our bodies change and grow rapidly over this forty-week period. It is amazing to see how our bodies adapt to the growing being inside, isn't it?? Well, while some of these changes are nicer than others (hellooooo, tahtah's!), but then some of them can be downright depressing (can you say stretch marks, weight gain, and widening hips?)!
For me, it's been extremely hard to watch the scale go up every week. Last week I hit the big ten-pound mark, which means I've gained ten pounds in the ten weeks since the second trimester began (right on track, according to my doctor and all of the pregnancy info I've read). I know that means Peanut is growing like she should be, but I'm not gonna lie, it's still hard to watch the number rise and watch my belly, hips, and thighs grow!
I've always been leaner (well, except for nursing school...I think that stress will put weight on anyone! lol) and fairly in control of my weight, but I've also always struggled with a lack of self esteem when it comes to my body. Basically, I don't see what other people see when I look in the mirror. I am always going to be harder on myself and nit-pick at the "problem areas" I think I have. I know it is a problem I have, and it's something that I have to work on on a daily basis to overcome...even more so now that I'm pregnant and my body is changing for my precious little girl.
So of course, as He always does, God spoke to me through my devotional this morning about this very topic. He shared Matthew 22:39 with me, which says "Love your neighbor as yourself". My devotional (Celebration of Life: Everyday Encouragement for Expectant Moms) broke it down for me like this: "The Bible affirms the importance of self-acceptance by teaching Christians to love each other as they love themselves...God accept us just the way we are. And if He accepts us--faults and all--then who are we to believe otherwise?"
This message really hit home for me when I read it this morning. I want nothing more than to be a light for other people and to show them God's love, but how can I do that if I'm not even loving myself properly?? I immediately had to stop and ask God to forgive me for demeaning His creation (me) and for not always seeing the beauty in the masterpiece that He's creating (my growing body that's carrying this miracle). I also asked Him to open my eyes and to allow me to see myself as He sees me: a beautiful and always-growing child of His, despite all of my imperfections. It felt absolutely wonderful to lay this burden at His feet and ask Him for healing in this matter!
Of course, once this happened, I knew He wanted me to share it with all of you guys. Now, the verse above and the message He spoke to me doesn't just apply to pregnant women. It also applies to anyone (including men) who has a hard time seeing the beauty in God's creation through the fog of doubt and imperfections that Satan tries to put in front of us. If this is a struggle that you, like me, are dealing with today, please remember that God put a lot of work into making you just the way you are, He loves you just the way you are, and He delights in watching you grow in your faith day by day! :)
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