Where God's Word Meets Our Mess
Oh, how I hate looking in the mirror. I hate being around skinny girls. I hate going clothes shopping. And I hate stepping on the scale. Why? Because I don't like my body. Honestly, I haven't for a very long time. Nothing is wrong with it—it works perfectly fine and is completely healthy. Yet it's still so hard to accept the body I have. But isn't that just part of womanhood?
Everyone has a unique eating disorder recovery journey, which is something that I had to come to terms with earlier in my own recovery journey. I wanted my recovery—particularly my mental, emotional, and spiritual recovery—to be fast. But it wasn’t. My physical recovery was fairly quick, but it has taken (not took, but has taken) years for me to recover mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Because my eating disorder took a much bigger toll on my mind, heart, and soul than on my body, honestly.
You did it. You finally lost that weight. You finally ran that marathon. You finally gave up sugar for a month. You finally fit into your dream size. You finally mastered that workout. And yet something doesn't feel right. You still don't love your body. "So," you ask yourself, "since I don't love my body after I've done all this, when will I love my body?" The answer to that question may initially disappoint you, but I hope you'll find freedom in it.
Friends, I'm very excited to share the first ever video interview on TTT! Brittany Braswell, whom I connected with through Wonderfully Made, shares her thoughts about eating disorders, body image, and nutrition from the perspective of a Christian Registered Dietician. If you resonate with what she says, head over to her website linked here!
As I walked out of the building, I couldn’t help but wonder: Why was everyone so unhappy while they were exercising? What are we trying to achieve by sweating persistently, feeling utterly exhausted, and even permanently injuring our bodies? Are we truly trying to be healthy, like we claim? Or are our motives a bit messier than that?
If we chase the “ideal” body, we will never be content. Trust me—I’ve tried. But you don’t have to love your body, You don’t even have to believe that you’re beautiful. Because it’s more important to pursue a godly heart than a toned body.
Satan wants to convince us that something is wrong with how we look. He whispers that nothing fits me well and that my body is dreadfully ugly. But Satan is “the father of lies” (John 8:44 ESV). He wants us to believe anything that will draw us away from the Father.
I stared at the mirror in utter disgust and frustration. Why did I only feel hatred and despair when I looked at myself? Was I really as ugly as I appeared? Were my eyes playing tricks on me?
The truth is that I’m a healthy size and weight. In a perfect world, I would love my body because it is perfectly healthy. But I am slowly beginning to see reality: in our fallen world, we may never love our bodies.
Tizzie's Tidbits of Truth 