You’re BMI

First, that title doesn’t contain a typo. Second, you’re BMI.

So today I learned physical assessments are still a part of our elementary school’s PE classes. I’ll be honest in that my initial reaction to this news was extreme and served as a powerful trigger to my own journey of struggles with body image. Thanks to counseling and dear friends and loving husband, I’m learning there’s a lot more personal processing and praying to be done when triggers and extreme emotions make themselves known.

Let’s be real, I’ve never done a full pull-up in my life and, growing up, I was always at the top of the charts when it came to height, weight, and thus BMI. Thankfully my dream was not to be a body builder, and I knew I had other strengths, yet these simple evaluations did a number on my perfectionist tendencies. The informal evaluations only got louder as I got older. PS – Comparison and perfectionism are NOT from the Lord.

Communication matters, and while I know adults in my life truly valued me as a person, the way comments were delivered about my body stung and sunk and stuck. Growing up, my hips and thighs were described as a ‘sturdy base’. True statement for sure. Truth I wanted to hear as a young tween while the world around me was (and is) saying ‘thin is in’, not so much.

Regardless of my journey, my daughter and her classmates are being assessed on push-ups, sit-ups and the like while also being weighed, measured, and given a BMI number. I think assessments and tracking and numbers are not the most effective way to determine overall health, but I fully understand when you are trying to create awareness among thousands of youth, a uniform evaluation might be a decent option. Communication still matters though . . .

Rather than focusing on the problems around us, let’s focus on the truth and equip, encourage, and empower each other to stand firm in that. As mothers, what’s our message to our children? As fathers, what’s our focus in our conversations with our kids. Because in all reality, we have the loudest voices. As well as those in our close community.

So here are some truth for our kiddos, parents, friends, educators, leaders, etc:

• Our bodies were designed as good. All shapes, strengths, abilities, and aptitudes.
• We are fearfully and wonderfully made, knit together in our mother’s womb. Such a beautiful and incredible design.
• We were loved before we even arrived and have been loved and valued each and every day. Not because of the size of our bodies or the strength of our core but because we are His creation.
• God gave each of us our unique bodies for our unique and specific purpose. Remember my ‘sturdy base’, the ability to preach His truth through a barre workout is all thanks to my bottom half. But beyond that, God did not design our bodies for appearance but to show love, give love, move in love, rest in love and live in love.
• We must take care of our bodies soooo we can show love, move in love, and live in love. So we need to be intentional to get exercise if our ‘work’ does not already require that like so many of the generations of hunters, gatherers, and farmers before us. We need to be intentional to eat well and drink well in the world of plenty and abundance and sugar highs. Because . . .
• Our bodies, as believers in Jesus, are holy temples. They are beautiful structures and works of art that honestly don’t belong to us but serve as a home for His Spirit. We are living sacrifices, burning bright by His flame.
• His truth applies – BMI does matter. You’re BMI. You are Beautifully Made in His Image.

As adults, I must ask you how you feel about your body. Because the way you describe and talk about your own body is going to be the most powerful message our young ears hear. Do you believe the above truths about yourself? Please start there . . .

Through the launch of Deeper Wells, we created these images with scripture to communicate His truth behind our efforts. Subscribe to these weekly updates on holybarre.org, and you’ll notice this is a key message of our ministry. Let’s keep this truth message going . . . You’re beautifully made in His image!