True Beauty.

Two words that mean so many different things to different people, but what does it mean to you? When you look in the mirror do you see the beauty upon your face? You should, because you ARE beautiful. Everything and everyone has beauty; it’s just a matter of whether or not we choose to see it.

There is not one format that defines beauty; YOU define beauty.

Over the last few weeks as my pregnant belly has quickly grow into the beautiful belly it is (calling it beautiful has taken me awhile) I have endured comment after comment about how big I’m getting, how big my belly is, how early my belly has grown, etc.

At first, I thought nothing of it, but as the comments kept rolling in, the more hits to my self-esteem I took.

For those of you who have known me for the long haul you have seen the struggle I have faced with the insecurity of my weight. Some of you may be scratching your heads thinking “are you serious right now?” Yes, skinny people have insecurity issues about their weight too and sometimes they are pretty serious.

For me, gaining weight was always one of my biggest fears and it overwhelmed my life at times. It was a fear that with the strength of the Lord I conquered and overcame while in high school and haven’t really struggled as deeply with it as I previously had.

Lately as I quickly gain weight while pregnant and hearing the flood of comments about my big belly; the fear of gaining weight has started to haunt me again. Thankfully I’m able to push those fears away and remind myself that I’m carrying a precious soul and I would happily gain 100lbs for this baby just to know that in 9 months I get to hold it in my arms. More importantly I reminded daily that I am fearfully and wonderfully made by the Lord. What greater compliment does a woman need? :)

Psalm 139:14 “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

I’m opening up about all this not because it’s easy, but because I know that as women we struggle with so many issues about our body and motherhood definitely creates more issues that we have to work through. It’s just truth. From pudgy bellies, to sagging boobs, to displaced nipples, to cellulite, to hips that widened and never went back into place, to thighs and a booty that just won’t go away….there’s a ton and it’s life, but it’s BEAUTIFUL!

If we choose to see the beauty in the changes that becoming a mother has given us then we can look ourselves in the mirror and feel beautiful every day. Is it easy? Of course not! It’s a forced habit, but we get to choose what beauty we see in ourselves even if those around us don’t always see it.

As women we have to learn to be fully confidant in the fact that the One that created us sees us only as beautiful, even in our ugliest moments and His opinion of us is really the only one we should care about.

Once we begin to constantly see the beauty in ourselves, it will become easier to see beauty in all the things and all the people around us. Just a little glimpse of the way the Lord sees.

Today I encourage you to spend time in front of the mirror and find the beauty in you. No matter how hard is it, no matter how many things you find that could be better; choose to see the beautiful creation that you are and know that I think you’re beautiful!

xoxo,

Krista