"Why are we so hard on ourselves?"

I went to Fleet Feet in Boulder last Sunday for a running clinic. It was wonderfully informational. I learned that with every strike of your foot while running ... you are putting 6 times your body weight on your feet. WOW!

The woman that runs the store is well known for sports bra fittings, as they are different than your regular bras. So, I had her come into the dressing room and measure me. I was wearing my Levi's and a hot pink bra, but as I was standing there looking at my tummy with outrageous stretch marks, I kinda grabbed it and said something along the lines of "blah blah blah ... can't wait till this is gone ..." and she just said to me "Why are we so hard on ourselves?". Right! Why am I? Would I ever say that to anyone else? Never.

I have realized though as I am watching my body reshape that I am so very different now physically then after I had Matthew. I have carried 2 babies, 2 big babies, I gained 60lbs twice and nursed them each for a year. I have an amazing body. I look at it now and see a tummy that is never going to be flat, and boobs, oh Lordy, my boobs, that are so saggy, women in the bush of Africa would be shocked. Why am I so hard on myself?

I see change happening ... change I am thankful for, regardless of my dough-like tummy and tube sock boobies ... I need to not be so hard on myself, my body is a gift. I can run. I can swim. I can dance. I had 2 babies.

I must surrender my negative self talk, take it Lord, it does me no good, I should be full of praise for the way my body is made, perfectly and wonderfully. Forgive me for ever thinking I was less than anything you made me to be. I am learning to love my body for what it is, in this moment, for how You made me. Amen.