The First in a Litany of Insecurities
For 15 years I take note of possible imperfections before anyone can see, question, or mock. I hide the litany of physical insecurities growing with age. The goal is to prevent harm from people, yet the self-contempt within becomes its own poison.
Maybe They’ve Never Seen Someone Without Feet
At just ten years old, Jude offered the antidote to shame to a crowd of four hundred misty-eyed people, most of whom were older than he and many of whom have typical bodies. Through the unexpected teacher of pain, Jude has learned what most of us will never fully understand: we were all made in the image of God, and we don’t have to be ashamed.
Breaking Free from Body Shame
Whether you struggle with illness, injury, or just insecurity: I believe God’s Word can be a balm for our souls and a pathway to freedom. It’s one thing to know in your head that you were created in the image of God. Yet it’s quite another to experience this belief in your body, against the cultural ideals of a woman’s worth. And between the two lies a world of frustration, disappointment, and the shame of somehow feeling both too much and never enough in your body.
Eyes to See
I used to believe that on Earth, most of us received an equal distribution of pain; we all had a comparable storm to endure. But after two storms in my first quarter of a century—my dad’s suicide and a seventeen-hour brain surgery—I started to wonder if maybe this wasn’t true. Maybe pain didn’t play fair.
My New Face
Now I know my face tells a story far deeper and richer and more intentional than good genes or expensive makeup. My faces tells the story of survival, second chances, and suffering strong.
Why I Love My MomBod
Beneath our pursuit of external beauty and eternal youth is both a deep fear—to escape death—and a deep longing—to be loved without having to earn it.
Glorious Scars
But when we allow our paradigm of healing to shift, her scars begin to look like badges of honor. She can proudly point to this old wounded place and say, “I’m scarred, but I’m still here.”
Walking Away from Shame
We are beautiful because we are made, re-made, and loved by Jesus—beauty made manifest.