For years (lots of them), what I wanted most for myself was to be thin, and I know I’m not alone. I fantasized about it, prayed about it, cried about it, and spent lots of money on it. It’s fair to call it an obsession – one which nearly destroyed my life. I’ve been miraculously set free from the lie that being thin equals being beautiful – that being thin means having true value. Today as I was thanking God once again for this freedom of mine, I had a divine realization – one of those you just know comes straight from the heart of God. It dawned on me that nearly all of the biggest blessings in my life came at times when I was…well, my biggest.
When I met my husband Bill for the first time I was chunky. When I had each of my three children I crossed the 200 pound threshold with ease, and this year – with the scale revealing numbers that once would have left me a depressed mess – one of my longest held dreams is coming true: I’m having a book published that will actually be in book stores!
It’s epically ironic (never used this expression before, but it fits) that at a time in my life when I’m nearly my heaviest, I’m the happiest. I love how this fact flies in the face of society’s lies about beauty and worth.
And I love that God is such a rebel – that He chose to bless me as a pudgy gal rather than making me thin like I’d begged Him to for years.
Isa 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways," says the LORD.
Yay! for God's ways, huh? I’ll take them over mine any day.