My baby girl just turned six months, and she is the squishiest babe. Everyone, including me, just loves on her numerous leg rolls, soft little belly, and those round cheeks. Can we all agree that it’s just wonderful when babies are just how I described Ruthie; rolls, soft, and round?
But whoa! If I described a woman as such, it would be considered rude and just plain mean. Double chin? Get rid of it. Dimples on your thighs? Better wear pants. Please don’t show your legs. Belly rolls when you sit or stand? Find something that will hide those. I see this ad on Facebook all the time about these slimming undies to smooth out the mid section under your clothes. It’s infuriating to me that in our society this is what we deem acceptable and the only way to live as women – fear of dimples, rolls, softness, roundness. You and I fall victims to wanting our bodies to look a certain way because that’s what the world teaches us we need to be.
Why is it not okay for us to have soft bodies? Why is it not okay for us to have cellulite? Why is it not okay for us to have plump cheeks? It’s more than okay for a baby and young toddler to look this way, but once we hit a certain age it’s not okay. Why though? Is the world not wanting this or is God not desiring our bodies to be this way?
God created you. He created your body. Does he want us to have a healthy body to build his kingdom? Oh yes, for sure! Can a healthy body mean we can still have dimples, softness, rolls and jiggly parts? Definitely, yes.
So maybe we’re not going to just start walking around saying, “hey, I like your cellulite” to another woman. But we can start talking to ourselves the way we talk to those squishy babes with love and joy. Then maybe you can start having conversations about this in safe spaces with friends or a small group.
I know I send this message out a lot to all of you, but it’s critical to hear this over and over. It’s critical to break down the walls and lies that healthy bodies look a certain way. It’s critical to know that we have a creator that wants your heart and your life and then wants you to go out and grow his kingdom regardless of your size and what the world sees as flaws. He created you. He knows you and still he wants you.
13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139: 13-14
