You May Never Be Skinny, But You're Still Beautiful!

I am slowly coming to the full realization that I never have been and never will be skinny. But I am okay with that. Too many women in today's society judge themselves by what they see, and who can blame them? We all want the acceptance, the attention, the glance or compliment, the jealousy to (for once) come our ways. 


But who says you have to be "skinny" to get that?


I am not skinny, but this does not mean that I am not beautiful. 


I am full figured, five foot ten (and a half), weighing in at 165, pant size 10, shirt size (depends on brand),  and a size 11-13 (women's) shoe. Now I know these numbers may come as a shock to some, big to others, but think about it... If I were 5'11" and weighed in at 130 lbs with a size 2 waist and a S shirt with size 7 feet, I would look ridiculous. In fact, I may look like a walking talking Barbie.

Speaking of which, we often hear how many people strive to gain a body like Barbie... Wellllll, that's not possible. 


Here's why:
Barbie would have a size 3 shoe.
Barbie would be 5'9" tall.
Barbie would weigh in at 110 lbs.
Barbie would have a BMI of 16.24 (which means you are straight up anorexic and in dire need of food!)
Barbie would have to walk like a dog to move around because her proportions are so out of whack.

Oh yeah, and this is how she would look in real life:

(source for picture and measurements: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-20055694-10391704.html)

I don't know about anyone else reading this, but my proportions are starting to sound really nice right about now.

It breaks my heart when I hear the girls, especially in my youth group, or those who I come across at work (summer camp that teaches teens how to evangelize in Vegas), and even friends, who hate their bodies or struggle with body image because they are not "pretty." I can empathize because for a good 8-10 years I too struggled with body image issues--and still do in some areas. But at least I have slowly come to the realization that I AM BEAUTIFUL. 

Beauty is not an attribute one can attain by changing the shape, color, or size of their body.

Beauty is not a number on a scale.

Beauty is not in the eyes of your crush/boyfriend/husband.

Beauty is not the women who walk the runways or pose on magazine covers.
Beauty is not your favorite singer/model/actress.

Beauty is not defined by what your friends said.

Beauty is not something you can achieve.

Beauty is something you learn and live out.

I don't care how much makeup you pile on your face to hide the blemishes, make your eyes pop, or define your cheekbones. That is not what makeup was designed to do. Carmindy (professional makeup artist for Hollywood) said something to the effect of, "You are beautiful just the way you are, makeup is simply the tool used to enhance your beauty." But on the flip side we see these companies that claim "You are Beautiful" and then we watch videos (much like the one I'm about to show) which proves they don't believe their own claims!

Did you notice how "NORMAL" she looked prior to all the makeup and hair styling? 

And even after they made her "pretty", she was not good enough for the world to see on a billboard. 

You will never be pretty enough, good enough, skinny enough to achieve the success Hollywood and the world claims you need to have.

BUT THERE IS HOPE.

Genesis 1:27 "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them."

You are created in the perfect, holy, flawless image of God! 

But He went even further than that, he created you to be YOUnique! There is no one else in the world exactly like you--yes, even you twins, triplets, and so forth! You are different, are you not? You are unique, right? (If no, then you must be a clone...)

God took time to make you just the way you are. He spoke everything else in all of Creation into existence, but He took time to make man and sculpt him to His likeness, and then He breathed life into us! ("Then the LORD God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the man's nostrils, and the man became a living person." Genesis 2:7)

But when the forbidden fruit from the tree of good and evil was consumed, we lost sight of that perfect, flawless, Godly image in which we were made. (Genesis 3:6-8) One of my mentors, Sheril, explained it perfectly after hearing her pastor's sermon.

Sheril said, "It's much like a broken mirror effect. The mirror is still whole as we see it, but in reality it is broken, shattered, kaput. Because when sin entered the world (after Eve ate of the fruit), the mirror was shattered by the fruit. (Imagine throwing a hard fruit, like an apple, at a mirror. It will crack or break.) So while we see our mirror is still in tact, we are actually looking at our bodies through broken shards of cracked glass. We see ourselves as a kaleidoscope, all mixed and jumbled together. Not whole. But God still sees us in His perfect, flawless, holy image."

It's time for some of you to ask God for HIS eyes, the eyes of our Creator.

Perhaps you have believed the lies that you are not beautiful for far too long, and now you cannot see just how truly beautiful you are. So when others compliment you, you shove it aside, forget about it, ignore it, or block it out because you are convinced they are lying. But what if it is you that is lying to yourself? Before you answer, I want you to think about it...

Nick Vuijic is an inspirational speaker from Australia.
He is. . . different. I won't spoil it if you have not heard of him before. 

But, even he has found ways to beat the odds and live a normal life, and see himself in God's image.

  Watch this and be blessed:

 

By the way, humongous congratulations because Nick was recently married in February! :) 

So you see?

It's not your thunder thighs, chunky butt, twiggy legs, clear face or alien eyes that determine your level of beauty. It's about your heart, attitude and personality. You can be the most beautiful person (physically) in the world, but if your heart sucks and you are bitter, angry, jealous, and greedy, no one will want to be around you much less with you. 

Beauty is a choice, pretty is what you make it, and gorgeous is how you deal with it.

So, what are you going to do with the choices you are going to make?

-Saint