My siblings and I are putting together photo albums online. It’s sure fun. We not only get to re-live our trips, but we do it together all over again. We worked on another one today and after I got home, I looked at some older ones we did. That was fun, too.
However, as I looked at some of those old ones, I thought, “Hmmm, I didn’t look so bad then, after all.” That’s because I remember not liking the photos of me; there was always something wrong. My hair wasn’t right. I was too fat. I don’t ever recall thinking I was too skinny. My clothes were not fashionable enough. And on and on and on.
I have found myself looking at people and thinking, “why, if they only lost weight…”
Then I have compared myself to others. Oh, that’s not good. Weight, age always are a detriment.
I can’t be the only one caught in this web. In a time when older folks are struggling with age—going to the gym most nights to work out so they can be slim, trim and youthful like they used to be. As age advances, it gets harder and harder to maintain that illusion.
I go to the gym. I want to maintain mobility and…yep…good enough looks as long as possible. I’m right in there with the Baby Boomers. But I’m getting tired of having to measure up. I never will. I must face it. Life cycles will continue. I will get even older. I will die one day. No matter how hard I work to keep my body mobile and youthful.
As I reflect on the matter, I am once again realizing that we humans come in all shapes and sizes. It is ok. It is even more than ok. Just as there is variety in all of God’s creation, there is variety in all of God’s humankind creations, too. Not only colors, but shapes and sizes.
God made us to reflect His Image. He made every one of us different. Even our talents and thoughts are different. Like snowflakes.
Being healthy is a good thing. But judging oneself and others by a false standard is totally NOT a good thing. God loves us as we are. Maybe we should, too.
“And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever,” I John 2:17.
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