Dear Anorexia by Melody

Dear Anorexia,
Anorexia, I so vividly remember the intimate time I shared with you. As an outlet for concealing my inadequacies, I embraced to your ways. You became my new best friend, helping me control my life when I could not live up to expectations.

Anorexia, when I did not know how to fit into my own skin anymore, you appeared. Through your eyes, I was convinced “thin” opened the door to success, confidence, intelligence, and happiness as a person. The body I once considered a gift from God you labeled as a tragic flaw, with fat defining my character as weak and shallow and the size of my waist a measurement of identity and purpose. Oh, anorexia…what lies you coaxed me into believing.

Anorexia, you filled my need to be someone, prove something, and take control of the life I deserved to have. You convinced me to starve myself and in return allowed me be thin. However, “thin” came at a high price. For Anorexia, you were never satisfied with my efforts. Each day I strived for control yet each day it slipped one step out of reach. I wish I would have known at our first meeting that I was only headed for disappointment: anger towards beloved family, depression, fear of social situations, missed friendships, sleepless nights, inability to study, and lack of energy to workout. The physical shivering that took over my body at such a low weight represented the cold person I was becoming inside. Anorexia, your world is miserable. You gave me control over my life at the cost of my soul.

Anorexia, you became a person to me. Instead of investing in people, I invested in you. I learned your ways and habits in hopes of becoming your intimate friend. However, as the days passed my body began to scream for a way out. I longed for permission to eat, to be free in my mind - Yet I had no control- no mental or physical strength left to pursue healing. It seemed like too much effort!

Yet anorexia, all the needs I tried to fill in you only find satisfaction in the arms of my heavenly Father. When I was at my weakest, not capable of putting any energy into fighting you, grace appeared. Grace slowly crumbled the tempting situations that fooled me into thinking “I must be more”. Grace allowed me to step back, away from performing, accomplishing, involving myself, seeking, and looking for success, and just REST in the stillness of God’s quiet voice. In my inability to fight for my own livelihood, freedom came. Slowly, one bite at a time I heard – “it’s ok to eat”. I received FREEDOM…VALIDATION to just be. Freedom to separate myself from my accomplishments and my progress as a person and love myself simply for whom God created me to be. I am now NO FRIEND to Anorexia. I am a freed child of God. Praise the Lord!

Beauty Tips by God

I had the privilege of speaking to some junior high girls recently at a Mother-Daughter brunch and one of the topics I talked about was authentic beauty. Beauty that comes from within. I had the girls imagine that if God was giving them some beauty tips this is a little of what he might say:

-Laugh out loud
-Dress yourself in a true understanding of your value and worth in me
-Pray to me
-Drink my living water
-Do not worry
-Wrap yourself in my arms of mercy
-Walk upon the aisle of my grace
-Be slow to speak and quick to listen
-Love me the Lord your God with all your heart
-Open your arms to the poor and extend your hands to the needy
-Love your enemies
-Remain in my love
-Let your spirit sing my praises
-Forgive as you have been forgiven and accept others as you have been accepted
-Feed the hungry
-Clothe the naked
-Have compassion for those in need
-Proclaim my mighty name throughout all the earth

A Note of Encouragement from Jessica

Hello girls,

I just wanted to take a quick moment to share with you how blessed we are by your presence in Wonderfully Made, and to encourage those of you who haven't been able to come lately to set aside some time for fellowship with other fun, silly, goofy, creative, and beautiful girls!

I was lucky today to have an entirely free afternoon, with no homework or meetings or chores or any of the little tasks which usually occupy my weekends. I decided to spend some time with God, and pulled my Bible from my shelf, where it usually collects dust!

I found this verse, which really inspired me to write to you girls:

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." (Ephesians 4:15-16)

I think this verse is awesome for two reasons.
1) It reinforces how special and precious our own bodies are, and how much we vitally need each part (even the parts we might think aren't useful, like our thighs or our butt or the hair that can't be tamed!)
2) It shows us that, as a body in Christ, we need each and every one of you.

I think that I speak for all of the "older" members of Wonderfully Made when I say that it would not be the same without you.

Love,

Jessica Rice
Wonderfully Made, SCU Chapter

Walking Upon the Aisle of God’s Grace

Something amazing happens when we grasp on to the true meaning of God’s grace. We are able to finally walk free in the truth that nothing can separate us from His love. Our performance cannot; our brokenness cannot; our pride cannot.

Basking in this boundless love which is rooted in mercy and grace liberates us from our self-imposed performance-based prisons. The truth is that we can eat all day long or never exercise and God won’t love us any less. Self-love and worldly acceptance is distributed in accordance to how well we abide by man-made rules. And this is a standard we’ll never be able to meet. We’ll always get to the end of the day and upon assessing our performance (what we ate and didn’t eat; how much we exercised, etc.) we’ll see where we didn’t measure up. And because we didn’t measure up we might conclude that we aren’t worthy or able to be loved. Remember that God’s love is not legalistic in nature like the love we often grant ourselves. I pray that you will have the courage to live in the freedom contained in God’s grace.

As you actively apply the aisle of grace to your HEAL Journey remind yourself that it is okay for example if you ate past a five, or didn’t have a chance to enjoy the gift of exercise . You are loved exactly where you are at regardless of your performance and what you have or have not accomplished. God’s love for you is constant and ever present. He does not want you to try and walk upon a tightrope of perfection because he knows you will fall and get hurt. He wants to lift you from the world’s attempt to balance upon perfection and gently put you on the path of his grace, love and provision.

Are you trying to balance upon a tightrope of perfectionism?
How can you accept God’s grace as you travel upon your HEAL Journey?

HEAL: A Shared Journey of Authentic Healing

I just got back from HEAL tonight with the girls. I just feel so blessed to be in the presence of such amazing women who are not afraid to be real with one another. It is clear that the journey we are walking upon is not meant to be done alone! God desires His daughters to be in authentic friendships with other women who spur them on towards His truth. As the five of us lounged upon the big green sofas in a tiny apartment in Isla Vista, we shared our lives and stories with one another. Lives that for many of us once contained so much brokenness and bondage. Lives that were in bondage to legalistic, lifeless living, rigid food rules, poor self-image and distorted thinking. While some of us shared our praises with one another, still others were not afraid to say that God is carrying them through this journey moment by moment and that so much healing has yet to be done. We were reminded of this truth:

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus. -Phillippians 1:6

Our hope for you is that God will equip you with the courage and God-breathed friendships to step into the light and embark on the journey of lasting, authentic healing.

Please be praying for The HEAL Journey as we finish up our first 6-week study on the HEAL Principles which will enable young women like you all over the country to rise above these things that have for so long kept us down!

Also, if you have a story of healing that you would like to share with us, please email me at wonderfully.made@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you and be a part of what God is doing in your life.

Pure Worship

They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshipped and served created things rather than the Creator – who is forever praised. Amen. -Romans 1:25

In college I often ran to the beach and along a strand of oceanfront homes. As I jogged upon the sand my eyes would gaze in wonder at the vast ocean formed by the same hands that made me. My thoughts would fill with praises and my heart with thanksgiving, knowing that it was made by the God who had saved me from the pits of my despair. On one occasion I remember jogging behind a young, fashionably dressed couple. Their heads were turned towards the impressive beachfront homes, many of which belonged to celebrities. I slowed down to watch as they pointed towards each home talking as they went. Never did I see them fix their eyes upon the sea or the sun that had begun to set. I wondered how our Creator felt in that moment, knowing that his beloved had failed to fix their gaze upon his majesty. I knew that I too had many times walked their steps and worshipped someone or something – a created thing rather than my Creator.

On our HEAL journey, let us ask ourselves, what do I worship? Who do I elevate to a place of significance and worth other than God? Is it a woman with a slim frame; is it fashion, personality, status? What do we fix our eyes upon and give our heart to that is not worthy of the life that is within us?

Embracing the Gift of Exercise

Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God – this is your spiritual act of worship.
Romans 12:5

Living on the central coast of California I am blessed to live near the ocean and enjoy the sport of surfing. Every time my feet hit the water and I jump on my board, I feel fully alive. I’ve watched many glorious sunsets pour their brilliant colors upon the water and have danced upon waves as dolphins surfed alongside me. I love that I have been given a healthy body that can take me to amazing places shaped by the same God that formed me in my mother’s womb. Being able to move our bodies and explore the world is such a gift our awesome God has given us. It is a life-giving opportunity to worship the God that has so fearfully and wonderfully each of made us. I know that not every one is as blessed, though a healthy body and the ability to exercise are gifts that are easy to take for granted.

In our media-driven society exercise is often viewed as a form of punishment for our imperfect bodies, rather than a good and perfect gift from above. Exercise is worship when done with a pure heart and thanksgiving. It is a gift we can give ourselves and even to our loved ones. If you catch yourself putting exercise on your "have to" list, maybe it's time for a new activity. We have every reason to get excited about being active! Get creative with this wonderful gift! Find something – at least one sport or type of exercise that you love. There’s tap dancing, kickboxing, power walking, rollerblading, skateboarding, soccer, hiking, kayaking, karate, gymnastics, snowboarding, surfing! Come on girls – we’ve got a lot of options to choose from!

Always remember that you are body beautiful - you have arms to hug, eyes to discover, feet to travel upon. You are blessed. Pray and work for a healthy, active heart and body - one that will allow you to tackle the irreplaceable role God has called you to.