What All Bodies Can Do
I love the meme that asks, “Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, That can’t be accurate?” Uh, only every morning I wake up! Ha! Tell me it’s not just me.
Next year I turn forty, and my body looks different than the one I sported the first three decades of my life. Not shocking, but I honestly thought (hoped?) I’d be the exception.
And whoa, does everyone have a solution to this aging, changing, not-twenty-year-old body. On my frumpiest days, I yearn for those “solutions” to give me back that youthful beauty. But on my saltiest days, I stew over our culture’s obsession with perfectly manicured bodies.
Some trends are bright spots, though! I appreciate the Health at Every Size counter-narrative that emphasizes a healthy lifestyle over specific body sizes. I also love the body positivity movement all over social media. Recently, I even made a #bodypositive post on Facebook:
My body takes up more physical space than it used to. But I’m more centered, grounded, and joyful than I’ve ever been in my life.
Our culture would like me to believe that I can’t be happy, satisfied, or confident because my pants size has grown, my stomach is rounder and softer, and my cheeks are fuller.
In fact, the very clear message is that certainly I must not care about my health or my body. Clearly, I’m lazy and undisciplined. Or just ignorant about true health.
But all of those are lies I am rejecting. Body size is a much more complex picture than anyone wants to sell you.
In the not-so-distant past, I probably would not have posted these pictures because I’d bought into the cultural lie that beauty and worthiness are mostly about the size and appearance of my body.
But the joy you see in my smile? That’s real. Not faked. These pictures celebrate my mental health recovery, the unbelievable talent of my sisters-in-law, and the crazy-funny relationship I get to share with them.
Don’t let our culture sell you short! You are beautiful, radiant, amazing, and wonderful just. as. you. are.
The truth is, basing our worth on physical beauty is not what God intended. He made us for confidence in his grace, to know that our worthiness is in Christ alone. But I’m not advocating that we neglect—or that God would want us to—our bodies or physical appearances.
Do I disregard my changing metabolism and eat with abandon? No. Have I given up on exercise because my body isn’t responding the same way it used to? No. Instead, I think of my body as the beautifully intricate and amazing vessel God has given me to participate in life, however it looks.
One mid-life reality I face, thanks to genetics, is thinning hair. Recently, when I was visiting a friend I hadn’t seen in months, she asked about my hair loss. Honestly, I’d thought it wasn’t that noticeable. Hello, reality check! My friend’s interest cued me to start obsessing over fixing the problem. What if I need Rogaine or—horror of horrors!—a wig? I bristled at the reality that men can bald with grace, but perfectly luxurious hair defines feminine beauty in our culture. I spent hours researching all the reasons behind hair loss and the ways to combat it. I became fixated and depressed over it all (I am fantastic at throwing self-pity parties).
But the Holy Spirit interrupted my pity party for one, nudging my heart toward God as the very one who designed my body, thinning hair and all. If I spend excessive energy on a time-bound, won’t-really-matter-in-eternity issue, then what more important heart and soul issues am I ignoring?
More pointedly, have I obsessed nearly as much about my stretched-thin soul? Have I poured endless hours into reading what the Word made flesh has to say about my heart? Have I fixated my heart on his beauty and wondered at his grace with the same intensity I studied my hair in the mirror?
I haven’t always, but my soul yearns for true satisfaction—the kind not found in quick fixes or Amazon deliveries. What about you?
If we choose to spend our one precious life measuring our bodies against misguided cultural standards, what crazy-good life might we miss out on? All bodies can taste and see that God is good. All bodies can love God and serve others. All bodies can be transformed by grace. Deep satisfaction comes from feeling loved and returning it a thousand-fold, knowing intimately the one who creates beauty, and rejoicing in his goodness and glory.
Let me say it again: I believe wholeheartedly in taking care of the bodies God’s given us. But I also believe that without intention, we can lose our way by seeking worth and validation through how well our bodies match our favorite Instagram posts.
Today, I pray we will move closer to God’s heart so that we can find our true worth and satisfaction there.
is a writer and teacher who lives with her family in South Carolina. When she’s not pondering words, she enjoys hiking, learning about natural health, and drinking the perfect latte. Allison loves to connect with others about family, special needs parenting, mental health, grief, and faith. Her writing has been featured on The Mighty and Her View from Home, and you can find more of it on her blog Writing Is Cheaper than Therapy.
Photograph © Caroline Veronez, used with permission
