The One Gift Every Woman Desires This Season

With the holidays here, sometimes I don’t generously love this body God has gifted me.  As hearty snacks roll straight into lavish meals, shared around sparkly, festive tables,  I have to keep myself in check.  I am challenged to let go of the holiday habit of shaming my body.  Rather, I am challenged to enjoy the feasting that pairs deliciously with December.

And when I do struggle, because I will, I remind myself that I am not alone. Many women struggle with the shame that comes with “too much eating and not enough exercising.”

As we drove down the last stretch of wheat-laced fields on Hwy 123 to Seguin last weekend, the radio DJ stated that she wished she “could scrape away the calories from her plate,” getting rid of the guilt that ensues with consuming too much pie at Thanksgiving.  As I clicked through the internet last week, I viewed online diet-based programs giving their readers PERMISSION to partake in their family holiday meal.  After all, it’s just “one day of cheating.”

Why do so many voices infer that enjoying the holiday meal we share with family and friends is somehow like bad behavior?

The voices that speak body shame can be gently silenced and replaced with a sweet gift.  This gift has been passed down to some of us from loving, tender people who speak wisdom from the heart of God. But for some of us, this sweet gift is new.  We have recently discovered it and are timid to open it, but we anticipate how it might bring us to hope.

Jesus gave this gift to women in the New Testament, gently approaching them with love.  Whether speaking with a prostitute, a widowed woman, a woman riddled by anxiety over her dying child, or a woman frail with disease and ostracized by her community, Jesus consistently welcomed women.  Jesus did not shame women when they were struggling.  Jesus did not shame women for living vulnerably.

This gift that replaces shame is compassion. Jesus generously gifted compassion for His people.  Similarly, He desires us to share compassion amongst His people.  Specifically, Jesus desires to show compassion for our selves.

So, we give and share and show compassion. Compassion is the gift that every woman desires to gift herself this season, especially when it comes to seeing her body with generosity and gratitude.

We choose to show compassion for these bodies He has gifted us, acknowledging all that we are privileged to do.  By showing compassion for our bodies, we grow closer to the Heart of God.  We understand more clearly how He generously loves us.

By showing compassion for our bodies, we are more free to enjoy all that our bodies can do.

Strong arms and legs allowed me to play basketball with my kids (and get beat by most of them) in between meals and leftovers last week.

The muscles in my hands allowed me to grip the electric mixer, massaging heavy cream into her more delectable form — sugary, homemade whipped cream.

My beating heart pounded strong as growing sons, tired from outside play and inside feasting, leaned in close for unplanned naps.  I can still feel my little one’s wispy hair on my neck and the weight of his sleepy head on my chest, barely moving with the cadence of my heartbeat.

Thanksgiving week came to a sweet close on Sunday.  At home, laundry piles stacked high and energetic boy stamina began to wane.  At church, slumping tired in the pew, I felt relief as I listened to the sermon. My body rested. I could have sat, or slept, in that pew the rest of the live-long day.

But my energy returned to me when we were summoned to worship.  We praised Him who made us.  Whose very breath resides in our lungs.  Who restores and heals our broken parts.  Who crafted our bones.  Even our skeletal structures are part of his careful design, supporting our physical bodies that belt out song for Him.

Body Shame — whether it stems from fat shame, skinny shame, skin-color shame, plastic surgery shame, or a number of other shame sources I still have yet to address like age, sex, and abuse– all kinds of body shame begins to heal when we praise our Maker and show compassion for the precious, unique, lovely, and strong bodies we indwell.

The best way I know to conclude this 6-part series on Body Shame is by praising Our Maker, the Divine Creator of our souls, minds, and bodies. God-centered praise has the power to lead to people-centered compassion.  Praise that grows compassion in us frees us from shaming our bodies.

Father, by praising You for how you made us, we recognize the seemingly simple, yet amazing acts that our bodies accomplish.

***Speaking of praise, below are the lyrics that we sang out on Sunday. Try skipping the ad and feel free to sing.  To praise.

“Great Are You Lord” by All Sons and Daughters