Love The Skin You're In!

Photo Credit: Amazon Fashion Europe

Last week, I sat in the tub soaking in a good dose of Epsom Salt. If my muscles could talk, mine would scream out “Thank you Thank you Thank you!” (cheers to Epsom Salt and my personal trainer). But as I soaked and massaged my aching muscles, I kind of skimmed over my body. Then I really began to examine my body. The contours and scars. The spider veins making their appearance (and apparently their home) on my thighs. The stretched skin and light brown stretch marks to match. I began massaging my wide feet to ease the burn from my workout. As I rubbed my aching muscles, I started to reflect back to how much I used to hate my body. Parts of my body, I hated from childhood but as I got older and started having children, I found more things to hate about my evolving body. I didn’t like the way it was changing its shape and elasticity. And of course, it didn’t help that every time I turned around, the media or magazines always showcased their most statuesque, seemingly perfect bodies.

Image Source: Instagram User: Loveyourlines

Ladies, I know many of you reading this, as a matter of fact, AS you’re reading this, can ramble off in one breath the number of things you don’t like about your body. But here’s the reality, one that took me a long time to realize (and is still taking some time) …we all come in various sizes, shapes, colors, and features. From before the time we are created in our mother’s wombs, God has already etched every characteristic onto our DNA. Whether that be stretch marks, large birth marks, balding hair, acne, or whatever the case…it was all there from before the beginning of our existence! Psalm 139:13 says “You created every part of me; You put me together in my mother’s womb.” Everything that we were meant to be and how we were meant to look and the features that were meant to come through, were all done before being formed in our mother’s womb.

Now trust me, I truly understand the sometimes desperate need to rid ourselves of some of these unappealing things. I mean, I can list off a whole lot of things I’d like to get rid of RIGHT NOW…I digress…But here’s the thing sisters…Half of what we see displayed in front of us in the media or on magazines is not real. Let me say that again, in all caps…IT’S NOT REAL! Okay, let me dismiss the ones who say I’m hating because I’m not. But let’s keep it 100%...there are some women who were blessed by God with incredible genes and barely need any alterations to their image and I applaud you (well, while giving just a little bit of side eye). But then there are the REAL bodies. You know, the ones that bear evidence of some wars. Bellies that bear witness that lives were carried. Bodies that display the faint and sometimes not so faint trails of stretch marks, that sometimes vary from tiger claws to spider webs. That extra “love” right under the bra strap that tells on us that we shouldn’t have eaten that extra cupcake. Or the checkered skin that looks like artwork but is the result of vitiligo.

I can go on and on. But ladies, sisters, please hear me out. Every single one of us can point out several “imperfections” as we call them. However, when we learn that we were created this way on purpose or that the way we look serves a purpose, we learn to embrace our scars, marks, and everything else. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” We were intentionally created in certain ways for certain purposes. When we look outside of that truth and start measuring ourselves with other women, not only do we make ourselves even more miserable, but we begin to discredit God for His mighty works.

Now, please, hear me out…I’m not saying that I have it altogether. Because as I mentioned earlier in my blog, there are still things that I wrestle with. My “love” around my waist can stand some trimming. However, I am learning with every moment God gives me, to love all of my “love” and to embrace every imperfect part of me and to realize I am enough…MORE THAN ENOUGH. And in knowing this, this is a part of what gives me confidence and what makes me attractive…oh and I have an amazing husband who loves ALL of me!

Sisters, none of us will ever be 100% satisfied with the way we look. But I want to encourage you and even challenge you to look at yourselves differently. Whether you catch a glimpse of yourself walking past your mirror or you’re in the tub or shower, look at those things that are deemed “ugly” or “imperfect” by yours or society’s standards and say “I love you, every part of you. Every part serves a purpose and I’m going to embrace that!” Girlfriend, say it because you are worth it. You are #BeYOUtiful! Own it and be #Unapologetic about it! Blessings ladies!

Photo Credit: Peter Yang