It’s Just A Shape

Posted on by Amie Posted in EncouragementTagged , ,

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Growing up, I was a stick.  No, literally, everyone could count my ribs.  In order for clothes to stay on my body, I had to safety-pin them.  I was always a head above everyone my age, and my legs?  Every seen a picture of a stork’s legs?  Yep, you got it.  Those were my legs, too.

I was so skinny, that my doctor ordered all different kinds of bad for you foods for me to eat in order to gain weight.  Did they work?  I don’t think so.  (And as a side note, my mom wasn’t going to make me French toast every morning.)

Then a disturbing thing happened.  I grew up.

I grew, and I began to think I was fat.  My thighs and hips were too big, and I was too tall.  My shape was wrong.  I wasn’t as pretty as the models, or as other girls I saw.  They were beautiful, and I wasn’t.

And as I continued to grow, I watched in horror as my waist grew.  Bigger.  And as I couldn’t wear the sizes I thought I should, I grew concerned.  My mom would tell me that it was normal.  I was tall, and I couldn’t expect to wear a size 2.

But I was still upset.  I thought I should wear a size 2.  Skinny people should.  I should.

I went shopping with my mom the other day, and I pulled size 4 off the rack and tried it on.  My mom was shocked that I wore that size, and she told me that she was surprised I was so skinny.

And it made me think.  Am I too thin?  Would I wear a size 2 if I weren’t so tall?  Am I the right size?

Are you ready for what I realized?  It’s just a size.  And it’s just a shape.  Body shapes have been a problem for women all throughout history, and guess what?  Every shape at one time has been the “right” shape.  But do you know what?  It’s just a shape.

You aren’t constrained to that shape.  It doesn’t define who you are.  It doesn’t matter.

Maybe if you believe that we’re a mistake.  An accident that randomly happened, then perhaps different shapes are more important than others.  But I don’t believe that.  I believe each one of us were crafted by a God who loves us.  Who chose our shapes, our eye color, and our personality.

So it’s just a shape.  

Each shape is beautiful.  You’re beautiful, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.  God and people who really matter don’t look at your shape.  God looks at your heart, and people who really matter look at your heart as well.

We need to take care of our bodies, and that means feeding ourselves the right food, and exercising.  That doesn’t mean working out 24/7, or never eating sweets.  When we constantly think about our outward appearance, we’ve made that our idol.

And what a sad idol it is!  Because not only do we have to grow okay with our shape once, we’ll have to do it every time our lives change.  My shape now won’t be the shape I am in ten years from now.

Part of change is acceptance, and we need to accept the shape God has given us, because our body shape is perfect.  God made us, not we ourselves (Psalm 100), so why should we complain about the shape of our bodies, or the color of our hair?

Instead, we should join together and praise Him for His wonderful works.

~~Amie~~

36 thoughts on “It’s Just A Shape”

  7. Reply
    Annie says:

    This is so very true. Thank you for sharing truth from God’s word on this topic. I’ve felt I was too small/too big for sure. It’s so true that God made us the way He wanted us to be, and we need to embrace that and not make beauty such an idol. I’d love for you to do more posts like this, such as “Modest Outfit Ideas for Spring” or “Why Modesty is so Important” or “What God Thinks about Beauty/Makeup.”
    Thanks for writing this!

    Liked by 3 people

    1. Reply
      Amie says:

      You’re welcome. I have thought about writing on those topics, but I feel that at this point in my life, I’m not ready to talk about most beauty related topics, and I don’t enjoy fashion. 😆

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Reply
    toadstoolartblog says:

    I’ve never been thin by any stretch of the imagination, even as a little kid. I’ve always been pudgy around the middle. Dieting does nothing. I try not to let it bother me, but I can’t seem to stop thinking about it no matter how hard I try. I don’t look good in dresses or tight-fitting clothes. It stinks ._.

    Btw, I think being tall is awesome! Don’t ever be insecure about being tall, because tall people are the coolest. If anyone gets in your way, you can knock them down easily, heheh.

    I know two girls who are both 6ft, and I really look up to them.

    *ba-dum-tss*

    Okay I’ll just let myself out.

    Liked by 2 people

  10. Reply
    Laura Baloga says:

    Thank you for this! You are so right, Amie! ❤ God is so good in giving us a body of health, we must praise Him–whatever shape we are! And we are to praise Him for the exercise we’re capable of doing.

    Liked by 2 people

  11. Reply
    Kendra Lynne @ The Wanderling says:

    Great reminder, Amie! Girls need to remember that God made them to be exactly as they are. Also, girls are all built with different body types. Every body is different and therefore what is a healthy weight for one person might not be for someone else. There’s also muscle/bone mass to think about, and that’s going to effect size/weight but NOT in a bad way!

    Thanks for this post!!

    Liked by 1 person

  15. Reply
    kassieangle says:

    Your honesty is always so inspiring! I’m built exactly like my dad, tall and lanky, and it’s never bothered me. You can never be too tall! Nobody messes with tall people! XD And yes, I definitely believe that folks who don’t think we’re created in God’s image are the ones who most promote body image. God knew what He was doing…end of story!

    Liked by 2 people

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