When you get up each day at 4 a.m. like I used to do, you don’t have a lot of time, or energy to spend figuring out what to wear. Most of the time it is a pair of sweat pants or capris and a comfy shirt and flip flops. Again, getting up at 4 a.m. and driving for an hour and fifteen minutes one way to work didn’t leave a lot of time for fashion. But that was one of the perks of being in radio and not television!
Nonetheless, as a woman, it is my desire to feel pretty each day. Whether I am preparing to throw on a pair of sweats, or I am getting dressed for church, or going out with my husband, in my heart I want to be able to look in the mirror and be pleased with what I see. However, I do struggle in this area and at times can be downright depressed.
Let’s face it, the world gives us a pretty unrealistic goal of what we are to look like. Pictures of Jennifer Aniston. Katie Cruise, and others indicate this is “the look” that is beautiful. This is what you are suppose to look like whether you are in sweats or an evening gown. But again, let’s face it….I am never going to be a size two no matter how little I eat, and no matter how much I wish my thighs were smaller and my hips curvier, this is the body type I have and unfortunately, I can’t airbrush out the cellulite.
I have always struggled with my looks. Even when in school I never ran with the “in-crowd” or was the most popular girl in the class. So I focused on other things like sports and academics and music. Although secretly I would have traded everything to be the “prom queen”!
Unfortunately, I have learned that you won’t find the “smart girls” or the “athletic girls”or the girls with the “really sweet personalities” opening the suitcases for Howie on Deal or No Deal…if you know what I mean. I have also found that when my girlfriend or husband says to me, “Karen, God made you beautiful in His eyes..you are uniquely created”, I think to myself, “Okay, that doesn’t make me feel any better, and as a matter of fact, now I feel worse because now I am not only insecure I am spiritually immature! Great!” Can any of you relate??
So what do I do in times like this. Well, usually I put on my bathrobe, otherwise referred to at home by my husband as my “sack cloth” and I down a pint of Ben & Jerry’s and sit amidst my own ashes. Then…I realize in a moment of clarity that I am not the only woman that goes through times like this. I think we all do. If the truth were known, probably even the “prom queens” of the world struggle with insecurity.
Next, I have learned to forgive my imperfections. So I have a few extra pounds, I probably got them from eating too many snacks with my kids and grandkids. So what if my hair is a little grayer than it used to be, it is just a sign of the wisdom I have gained over the years. And as for the laugh lines on my face…if I had to trade those in and miss all the times I have laughed with friends and family, I wouldn’t do it. So it is time we embrace those things.
When you really think about it there is not one other single person in the entire universe just like me. God did make me special and that alone is pretty awesome! So the next time I look in the mirror I am going to see past what the culture says I should be looking for and appreciate the creation I am in Christ! I am also going to love the things about me that I think are really neat…like I am funny, I really do have a sweet personality and, if I do say so myself, I love my hair!
The Bible says in Romans 8:29 that we are destined to be molded into the image of Jesus Christ and share inwardly His likeness. I encourage you to be content with who you are. That doesn’t mean you can’t make progress or improve, but when we compare ourselves to others we are continually disappointed. Let’s celebrate our uniqueness and rejoice in the future God has planned for us! Be confident and start enjoying!
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