About every other week I go on my major grocery shopping trip and then maybe once or twice in between I make a pit stop at the local store to grab some milk, eggs, fruit, etc. Every time I go, the same thing happens. As I stand in the never-ending line at the check out I read all the headlines on the magazines and fight the urge to waste $3.00 on one of them. I will admit...from time to time I do give in, usually when the cover pertains to some reality show that I've gotten sucked into. But I like to tell myself that buying the magazine keeps me from breaking down and buying a candy bar instead...hey, whatever works, right?
So for the last few weeks, as I've been hopelessly bored standing in the long lines at the store, I've seen headline after headline about Kim Kardashian. Now, I've never been a Kardashian fan. Every time I've seen their TV show, I've had the urge to stab my eyes out. I know a lot of people enjoy their shows and following their family and I'm not trying to judge you. I'll be the first to admit that I get hooked on reality shows, mine are more of the Housewives or Bachelor variety (I mean, seriously, how could you not watch SEAN??) Real quality television if I do say so myself. So if you are a fan of the tall, dark, and curvy Kardashians, then more power to you.
As I have been reading all these headlines about Kim, for the first time ever I felt sorry for her. "DUMPED AT 200LBS" "DON'T CALL ME FAT" FAT FAT FAT is all I saw. At one store, there were THREE magazines that all had her on the cover with a title including the word FAT.
THE WOMAN IS PREGNANT.
Listen, maybe she doesn't care. Maybe she likes the publicity. Maybe she is doing it on purpose to make headlines. MAYBE she isn't really pregnant, but rather is eating KFC three times a day just to fool us all...Or maybe she is a curvy woman to begin with and, like a million women before her, she has gained her baby weight in her hips, thighs, and oh-so publicized rear end.
My point to this post isn't to sit around and have a pity party for Kim Kardashian. No matter how much she does or doesn't gain during her pregnancy, the fact is she is uber rich and will most likely get the baby weight off a day after she has the baby thanks to all the wonderful things afforded to the rich and famous.
My point is this, why is it that in a world where every day we are flooded with pictures of 5'10 110 lb models, airbrushed celebrities, and flawless magazine covers, when a celebrity gains some (and I mean some) weight due to a GROWING FETUS IN HER WOMB, now we have to read about how she is fat, disgusting, and unwanted. As if we didn't already feel bad about ourselves before. We know we don't look like Angelina, but now we have confirmation that since Kim is officially considered fat and gross because she gained 20lbs of baby weight....well, you might as well just call the lard company, melt me down and call it a day.
How are we supposed to feel good about ourselves when we are surrounded by these messages, not only telling us we need to be skinny and perfect but that if we aren't we are FAT and unaccepted.
NOT TRUE MY FRIENDS.
Let's start with the basics.
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them." Genisis 1:27
BOOM. There it is. 27th verse in the Bible says that we were made in God's image. In the image of GOD himself; the creator of the universe, the one who knows all, the almighty Father. He made us and he chose to make us like him.
"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." Psalm 139:13-16
Here David gets more specific about God creating us. He knit us together, he knew every part of us before we were even made. Every cell, every hair, every blemish, every stretch mark, every love handle, every wrinkle, every gray hair (which I unfortunately have experienced, ugh)....you get the picture. He pieced us together bit by bit, exactly how he wanted us to be. That's how much he cares about and loves us!
Here is a good one:
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food and the body more important than clothes?" Matthew 6:25
Easier said than done, right? It's so easy to get wrapped up in working out and losing weight, wearing the right clothes, and even get distracted by things like, oh I don't know...clean eating, that you worry about it and become consumed by it.
The transition to clean eating has definitely taken over my life. I have to make sure I have time to grocery shop, bake bread, make snacks, not to mention cook meals and make lunches while working a part time job. And I'll also admit, eating clean is not cheap! That has been a huge worry on my mind. I have been struggling with staying on my grocery budget and still being able to get everything I need. It's a process that takes time, and I know that, but it is very hard to not worry about it.
But here Jesus tells us not to worry. Life is more than the clothes we wear or what pants size we are and we need to remember to give our worries over to the one that can take care of all of our needs. I've had to re-learn that lesson a time or two.
Last one:
"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." Proverbs 31:30
"Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting" - Translation: Some day our charm will wear off and our bodies will be old and wrinkled. It's a fact Jack. Sure, you can use face creams and moisturizers, and some may even go the plastic surgery route, but none of that truly matters. What matters is your inner beauty.
I know, I know, we've all heard it before. Hey, I'm the girl that heard "But she has such a pretty face..." all her life, meaning "Her face is pretty, too bad her body isn't". So I get it. Like we are really supposed to not care about what we look like on the outside because we are good people on the inside. Highly doubtful. The Bible does say that our bodies are a temple of the Lord, and therefore we should take care of them and honor him with them (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). However, we can keep ourselves from being consumed by it. We can not let the flawless picture of Jennifer Lopez on Cosmo make us feel inadequate. And we can see the tabloids calling a pregnant Kim Kardashian fat and not let that alter our sense of self.
Most of all? We can remember that no matter what we look like, God truly does see past all of it. He doesn't see my stretch marks, pimples, or gray hairs. He sees my heart. If my heart is consumed with worry over fitting into a size 6, wearing the right clothes, or striving to be perfect, then there is no room for him. But if I accept myself and just do my best to be healthy and happy, then God has room to work in my heart. And when God changes your heart, the possibilities are endless. The fact that I'm even writing this blog proves that God can change your heart and do things you never imagined.
Ask yourself what it is that is consuming your heart these days. Maybe you'll realize something that you hadn't noticed before. I didn't realize how much I was affected by the media until I actually got angry over the covers of Kim Kardashian. I feel better about myself now than I did 63 lbs ago, but I still have my share of insecurities.
I hate it when people tell you to embrace your flaws. LOVE your flaws! They are a part of you! Celebrate your blubber! Seriously?! I don't think so. I'm not saying we should LOVE every little part of us, I will NEVER be okay with having gray hairs at 28, but we shouldn't let them consume us.
So the next time you go to the store and see a tabloid cover of celebrity beach bodies, don't let it get to you. Remember that you may not love your flaws, but God does. And that's what really matters.
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