I will be good enough when...
~I start my career
~I get married
~I have kids
~I get that particular house
~I can afford those clothes
~I lose ten pounds
~My hair is longer
~I get that job
~My house is decorated like my Pinterest board
~I get right with God
~I am more educated in my faith
~I help out more at my kids' school
~I am a better wife
~I spend more time with my kids
This list (plus countless more) have all entered my mind at some point or another.
I was on the spin bike today pushing myself past my limits. My body was tired. I worked out the past few mornings on my own and then worked out again with my boys in the evening. My eldest likes to go on walks with me where we challenge each other to sprints, push-ups, step-ups, squats, and lunges. I oblige because he's a big fifth grader now and that time with him is so very precious. His brothers now want in on the action, so I am probably doing a little too much. Between working out more often than usual and the regular push and pull of back-to-school, I was worn out. But, I pushed myself anyway.
While I sprinted on the bike, I silently asked myself, "What am I doing this for?" Am I killing myself to be a certain size or is this really about me being as healthy as I possibly can? Most of the time, I workout to be healthy. I don't get on the scale or take measurements. I know when my body needs a change; when my pants get a little snug or my clothes don't fit right anymore. It does feel good, however, to look good but I've come to accept that I will never be a size two.
I wonder what we all chase after. What will it take to be enough?
I was listening to a podcast and the ladies were discussing our cultural infatuation with beauty. They talked about how there's this new campaign out opening the discussion to accepting the normal looking woman as beautiful not the size zero model: that what we see as flaws can actually be considered beautiful. The summary of the conversation came down to recognizing that we haven't come far in the standard of beauty. Instead of accepting people, women in particular, just the way they are, we exchange beauty for beauty. So, instead of claiming a young, thin, flawless woman is what we should strive for, we should accept our freckles, larger thighs, or curly hair. We haven't really made any progress. We just exchanged one beauty phenomenon for another.
When is being enough going to be okay? When can we stop valuing ourselves based on outward appearances or accomplishments and just say we are enough just the way we are: no size comparison or outlandish claim that our value comes from the width of our legs.
You are enough.
I am enough.
Just the way you are.
It is time to stop validating and start stating, "I am enough" with power. I am liberated when I say "I am enough" without a qualifier.
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well"
Psalm 139:14
I am enough because the God of the universe created me exactly as I am. I am enough because a Savior died for me when I did not deserve it.
I am enough.
Period.
We don't need reasons for our beauty or validity for our existence. We are enough just the way we are. We are WONDERFULLY made. You. Me. Wonderful. Period.
God never told us we had to look, be, obtain a certain thing before being deemed beautiful. We were made perfect in His image. The moment we took our first breath, we were regarded beautiful.
Put down the reasons. Set down the burden of, "I will be enough when..." and rest in knowing you are enough. Period.
"Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God." 2 Corinthians 3:5
Love & Blessings,
Meg
~I start my career
~I get married
~I have kids
~I get that particular house
~I can afford those clothes
~I lose ten pounds
~My hair is longer
~I get that job
~My house is decorated like my Pinterest board
~I get right with God
~I am more educated in my faith
~I help out more at my kids' school
~I am a better wife
~I spend more time with my kids
This list (plus countless more) have all entered my mind at some point or another.
I was on the spin bike today pushing myself past my limits. My body was tired. I worked out the past few mornings on my own and then worked out again with my boys in the evening. My eldest likes to go on walks with me where we challenge each other to sprints, push-ups, step-ups, squats, and lunges. I oblige because he's a big fifth grader now and that time with him is so very precious. His brothers now want in on the action, so I am probably doing a little too much. Between working out more often than usual and the regular push and pull of back-to-school, I was worn out. But, I pushed myself anyway.
While I sprinted on the bike, I silently asked myself, "What am I doing this for?" Am I killing myself to be a certain size or is this really about me being as healthy as I possibly can? Most of the time, I workout to be healthy. I don't get on the scale or take measurements. I know when my body needs a change; when my pants get a little snug or my clothes don't fit right anymore. It does feel good, however, to look good but I've come to accept that I will never be a size two.
I wonder what we all chase after. What will it take to be enough?
I was listening to a podcast and the ladies were discussing our cultural infatuation with beauty. They talked about how there's this new campaign out opening the discussion to accepting the normal looking woman as beautiful not the size zero model: that what we see as flaws can actually be considered beautiful. The summary of the conversation came down to recognizing that we haven't come far in the standard of beauty. Instead of accepting people, women in particular, just the way they are, we exchange beauty for beauty. So, instead of claiming a young, thin, flawless woman is what we should strive for, we should accept our freckles, larger thighs, or curly hair. We haven't really made any progress. We just exchanged one beauty phenomenon for another.
When is being enough going to be okay? When can we stop valuing ourselves based on outward appearances or accomplishments and just say we are enough just the way we are: no size comparison or outlandish claim that our value comes from the width of our legs.
You are enough.
I am enough.
Just the way you are.
It is time to stop validating and start stating, "I am enough" with power. I am liberated when I say "I am enough" without a qualifier.
"I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well"
Psalm 139:14
I am enough because the God of the universe created me exactly as I am. I am enough because a Savior died for me when I did not deserve it.
I am enough.
Period.
We don't need reasons for our beauty or validity for our existence. We are enough just the way we are. We are WONDERFULLY made. You. Me. Wonderful. Period.
God never told us we had to look, be, obtain a certain thing before being deemed beautiful. We were made perfect in His image. The moment we took our first breath, we were regarded beautiful.
Put down the reasons. Set down the burden of, "I will be enough when..." and rest in knowing you are enough. Period.
"Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God." 2 Corinthians 3:5
Love & Blessings,
Meg
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