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If you haven't read Part 1 of the Comparisons Series check them out here:
I got a comment about a month ago that struck me, "Well you are just skinny as always".
It is something that I hear all of the time and I know people don't mean for it to have any sort of effect but I promise you it does. Yes I am skinny, but I would trade skinny for healthy any day. You see, I am 5 ft nothing and I weigh between 83 and 86 lbs. You're probably wondering, what is wrong with that??? The problem is that 4 years ago I went from being healthy and no problems with how I was feeling to dropping 15 lbs and being constantly sick. (Read about it more on my post Letting Go of Control) I may be skinny ladies but I battle with constantly getting sick, having debilitating migraines, nausea almost every single day, and I never know when something I eat is going to make me sick and then not be able to eat for days. (Though there are things I avoid like spice, grease etc to try to be proactive, but something I ate once and was fine may not hit me as well the next time) It is scary, and frustrating to be up all night being sick from food your body rejects, and then weigh yourself and find you are now 3lbs lighter when all you want to do is gain weight to feel better. When I got pregnant with my son I gained my weight back and I can tell you I felt the best I have ever felt because I wasn't underweight. I thought maybe just maybe I would be able to have my son and not loose the weight again. I would feel better again. Unfortunately that didn't happen. So here I am fighting an uphill battle of trying to gain weight and trying to be healthy. So when I hear, well you are just as skinny as ever, or you need to eat some more, or lucky you, you don't have to worry about what you eat, I scream on the inside because I would give anything to go one day without any symptoms or health problems whatsoever. I promise you, just because I am skinny does not mean that I do not have problems with my body. And yes this includes body image issues as well as physical, I have had my fair share of thoughts about my body - I mean people have often looked at me and thought I was 14, not 24. And I too have stood in front of the mirror pointing out my problem areas.
I have also looked at other woman and wished I was as pretty, beautiful or as well dressed as them.
I am not asking for sympathy here but I am asking for you to stop comparing yourselves, your weight, your life against what you assume to be true.
Because in reality what we assume is not usually the case at all. Every woman, no matter what size or place in life can be insecure or have problems with their own body and it doesn't help when we are constantly bringing them up with comments, or thoughts of I wish I was their size or as happy as them.
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.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand-- when I awake, I am still with you.
Psalm 139:13-18 (emphasis is mine)
Instead of desiring to have the body of someone else we should be joining together, loving each other for who each other are, the real inner soul of each other, not wishing that we had each others outer shells that will indeed fade.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.Proverbs 31:30
God made our bodies, and they are beautiful because of that -- not because society says only this body type is beautiful.
I do my best to be gracious and accept it as it was meant, just a compliment or passing comment but I would give anything for us to get past our size, how we look and just look at the person inside and their struggles and love them through it all.
We need to show everyone the love and acceptance of who they are regardless of size or circumstance because they are daughters and sons of Christ too.
So join me ladies, just STOP comparing yourselves physically with other woman because they have a different body type then you. God made you unique, just as he has made every other woman's body unique. And remember that just because we are all different doesn't mean we don't have any problems or struggles.
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