Fearfully and Wonderfully Made
Perfection! If you watch any TV at all, you see the ads that focus on perfect perfection. Do you have psoriasis? Well then, you can’t possibly go out in public. If you have a date, your teeth have to be frighteningly white. And don’t get me started on grey hair and pimples. These ads create a culture of perfection that most of us cannot even attain as if our outward appearance is where we find our worth and purpose.
Recently, I found myself in our local GNC, holding a $250 “miracle” pill in my hand. This pill supposedly could take care of all my joint aches, give me energy and make my skin firmer and less wrinkled. I was also considering buying into the latest diet fad to the tune of $300 a month. So for a mere $550 a month, I could be skinny and wrinkle-free with amazing energy. . . . I was definitely having a moment.
It’s not like me to obsess over things like weight and wrinkles. But for some reason, in this season, I felt old, tired, fat, and unwanted. I was buying into the world’s ideal of beauty and worth; that youth and perfection are what’s beautiful, and that is the only beauty that makes us worthwhile.
I’m happy to say my moment was short-lived and I am back to being perfectly fine with who I am today, a little fluffy, with wrinkles that show my age and a normal amount of energy. It’s not like I was ever that picture-perfect, world’s view of beauty or even close, anyway. I love to eat and I can never remember to put on sunscreen, so my current body is really no surprise.
I love that I am fearfully and wonderfully made. I am just sure that my love of food and especially sugar and chocolate is part of how I was made. He made me curious, passionate, optimistic, and maybe a little crazy. God gave me a body that birthed 3 children, can run a marathon, and dance with my grandkids. He gave me a desire to advocate for the aging, joy in my job, and a love for reading. He made me a teensy bit stubborn and quite unorganized. I am also unreasonably proud of the fact that I can eat a Big Mac and large fry and almost immediately run 5 or so miles with no negative side effects. All of this is how he made me, precisely and uniquely.
No matter who we are, where we were born, or who our family is – we are worthy because God made us in His image. Genesis 1:27 tells us, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female, he created them.” We know He is “abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness.” (Exodus 34:6) For me, I need to find my worth in sharing His love with others. When people think about who I am, I want them to say she loved, she loved much, and she loved well, shining the light of Jesus through that love. That makes it about Him. So rather than being discouraged by those lines on my face; I hope I will hear my grandkids say, “She laughed so much she got wrinkles.” And just maybe my friends and family will say her hugs were the best, so comfy.
