"You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb." Psalm 139:13 NLT
Summertime means warm weather and bare skin. Shorts and tank tops, skirts and dresses, swimsuits and (gulp) bikinis are what everyone seems to be wearing.
Here's some encouragement to love the skin you're in.
Be Grateful for Your Body.
Focus on all the wonderful things your body does for you. Your lungs breathe, your heart beats, your stomach digests your food, and your bloodstream carries oxygen, antibodies, and nutrients throughout your body.
Your brain thinks, prays, reasons, and makes decisions. Your arms, hands, legs, and feet do tasks and work and take you where you need to go. God blessed you with a wondrous body!
Accentuate Your Assets.
Be modest, but accentuate the best parts of you. If you have long, slender legs, I am envious! Wear shorts and skirts with confidence. If you have a flat belly or pretty curves, wear fitted clothing that exemplifies them.
If you have a pretty face, wear it bare or dress it up with makeup. Gorgeous hair? Brush it out or curl it up. Show it off in a stylish way.
Minimize Your Flaws.
Elongate heavy legs with capris or tea length skirts, along with small heels instead of flats. If a bikini doesn't flatter you, wear a swimsuit with fuller coverage, ruching, a skirt, or shorts. Smoothing undergarments hide a multitude of sins.
Tuck your belly into a long tunic over slim capris or cover your bottom with a flowing skirt paired with a fitted top. Balance loose with fitted to avoid a baggy, frumpy look. Frizzy hair or big nose? Experiment with styles and products that manage frizz or look up makeup videos that show how to camouflage your nose.
Acknowledge You're Not Alone.
Back in the day, very few children were overweight. I was one of the unlucky ones. My mother recently gave me a journal she wrote when I was four. A couple pages in, she said, "We need to put Dianne on a diet - soon."
Recognize that others struggle too. Weight, disability, handicap, skin disorder, unusual feature, or any number of 'imperfections' are all common among the unique bodies God designed. Oftentimes, no one notices your flaws but you. A beautiful friend recently mentioned her acne scars. I never noticed until she mentioned them. Her beauty glows despite those insignificant scars.
Accept What You Have.
While acknowledging that you're not perfect, accept the body God gave you and appreciate how it serves you. Managing weight, wearing flattering clothing, and applying makeup all help us feel better. And yet, when we accept what we have as our God-given gift, that is the ultimate confidence booster to appreciate and ENJOY God's blessing of our bodies.
We are all unique, and we ALL have flaws. Being self-conscious only makes everyone uncomfortable.
Let's loosen up and love the bodies God designed specifically for each one of us.
"Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it." Psalm 139:14 NLT
May you enjoy this summer and love the skin you're in!
God's blessings on you,
Dianne
Learn more about Dianne's writing on her website: www.diannemiley.com
Find Dianne's books on Amazon by clicking on the book covers below.
