I go to bed with my makeup on. I wear a size 12. I have wide, less than beautiful feet with inherited bunion problems. My house is often a chaotic and disorganized mess. I hate doing the dishes. I kill plants. I am not a morning person and read my Bible in the afternoon rather than wake up before my kids in the morning to read it. I have always struggled with time management. My purse is always a mess. My van floor is littered with crumbs and is an older model than most. I live in a house that is a fixer upper. I have a treadmill that I have run on a total of about 3 times. I can get lost in my phone and spend too much time on social media. I have very little hair styling abilities. I wear makeup about once per week. My kids can watch too much TV. I sometimes find it hard to enjoy time with my kids when I have piles of housework that need my attention. If my kids are having corn dogs for lunch, sometimes I will too, rather than make that salad. I have large, noticeable scars on my abdomen from being a cancer survivor and stretch marks from previous pregnancies.

What is my point in telling you all of this? These are all areas that I have struggled to accept about myself, my body image, my motherhood, etc. no matter how trivial or secular they may seem. I’m sure that if you are a woman reading this, it may come as no surprise to you that women are prone to comparison, myself included. I have really been struggling lately and the Lord has really been working on my heart to point out that body image has become an idol in my life amongst others.

As a Christ follower, I want the Lord to be first in my life and the only one on the throne of my heart. I am a work in progress and it is not easy to be shown areas of sin I didn’t know I had, but it is necessary. One way the Lord has been speaking directly to some of my struggles has been through the Compared to Who? podcast that I came across while searching some things on google. If you struggle with body image, comparison, finding purpose, etc. I highly recommend this podcast ladies! I am learning so much and I wish I had more to share of what I have been learning but for now just wanted to share these few thoughts with you in hopes that it would encourage even just one person that you are not alone in the struggle and there is hope.

Finally, this is Easter weekend and the best reminder of all is that while we were STILL sinners, Christ died for us! (Romans 5:8) Christ died for YOU and He died for ME! Despite everything I listed above that I don’t love about myself, He loves me anyway and you know what-He created those feet of mine so who am I to say they’re not beautiful?! You are SO LOVED friend! Remember this. You are so much more than your shortcomings, your failures, your sin struggles. Your creator loves you and He made you on purpose, with a purpose!

Isaiah 64:8 says ”But now, O Lord, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter; we are all the work of your hand.” We are the work of our Father’s hands; let’s continue to let Him mold us! Have a beautiful Easter weekend!