Thank you to those who have read this series on body image. It was long and this post was no exception, so I appreciate your investment. If you have questions/comments/or are struggling with similar issues, send me an email. I’d love to chat!
“In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die, and where you invest your love, you invest your life.” –Awake My Soul, Mumford & Sons
The past year of my life has been a beautiful journey.
The process of healing my body image issues, studying abroad in Greece, and having a youth ministry internship have been incredibly rewarding experiences. They have each presented unique opportunities and in them I have found much hope, love, and above all, faith.
Traveling to Greece, Turkey, and Israel to explore the Bible lands taught me what’s most important in life, and goodness did I fall in love with Jesus in a different type of way because I’ve had the experience of walking in his footsteps, quite literally. Tack on a group of 30 friends walking with you in pursuit of Jesus and the healing and growing is seemingly unstoppable.
Most interestingly to me, though, is why I had the feeling to publish this series now, a year after I wrote it. I never planned on publishing it. I didn’t want the attention/embarrassment of airing out an issue so deep in my heart. But still, I kept coming back to it until I finally clicked Publish and slammed my laptop closed.
Now I know exactly what God was doing.
Writing it was soup for my soul, sure, but nothing compares to hearing that it’s helping someone else. A girl in the youth group I am ministering to this summer came to me last night, tears brewing in her blue eyes, and said, “I don’t know what to do. I’m so insecure. All of these girls are beautiful and skinny and have boyfriends.”
It shocked me how verbatim her words were in comparison to how I used to feel.
While I can’t say that I have only positive thoughts about my body now, I can say that I have seen the light at the end of the tunnel and have heard the sweet whisper of Jesus in my ear, who tells me that we’re all wonderfully made.
And had I not ever gone through this, I wouldn’t have been able to sit on a bench with that sweet girl last night and explain to her that I know. I know. But it’s not true, those are Satan’s lies, and size 4 or size 16, she is beautiful. I am beautiful. YOU are beautiful.
My experience is not yours, and we won’t overcome in the same way. Jesus Christ was my saving grace, as He always is. If you don’t know him—if you haven’t learned of his absolute love for you—please seek him, because He’s waiting to flood your heart and mind with peace, hope, love, gratitude, confidence, and worth.
And that is how I overcame.
You write so eloquently. I'm praising God for what he's done and will continue to do through you, sweet friend xx
ReplyDeletetears. thanks so much for sharing. you are a light to many. thanks for your example.
ReplyDeleteI've loved reading this series, Autumn. Thank you so much for sharing your story. We are all wrestling with any number of Satan's lies at one time or another and your story is a beautiful testimony about how the love of God always, always prevails in the fight for our souls.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate you writing this and these words mean a lot to me. I struggle with my body image. I think I weigh too much but I drown my sorrows in food, contradictory, eh? I am learning to find peace and security in my Saviour, Jesus Christ, not in food. But it is something I am still learning and I am blessed to hear how you have overcome Satan's lies.
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