Pregnancy Made My Body Better

I am going to say something that is just as shocking for me to write as it is for you to read.

I think pregnancy made my body better.

Hold up, you say. Does pregnancy not completely ruin your body??

Sometimes Most of the time, it seems that way. Let's be real. The stretch marks are not attractive. The extra flab after delivery is not something you were thinking about when you were decorating the nursery. I was a size 4 when I became pregnant with our son three years ago. Now, after two children? I am a size 8 that can sometimes squeeze myself into a 6 if I starve myself for, like....a few weeks. I'm not going to play with you; that is hard for me.

But I still think pregnancy made my body better.

I know you are probably curious. And I am not writing this lightly. No doubt, I will have to come back to this post many times and re-read to remind myself that, YES, my body is better now.

I understand that some women go through pregnancy and childbirth and come out looking the same as always, if not better. Some women lose all the baby weight - plus some! - within a month of giving birth. Some seem to have their tight stomach and abs back before other mommy's (like, ahem, me) are discharged from the hospital. If you are one of those of women who show zero signs of a pregnancy, this post may not be for you. It is for my fellow "bearers" - the mothers who bear with the aches, the flabby skin, the loss of hair, the disproportioned body, and the occasional feelings of complete and utter self-disgust.

This is for you.

My body is not what you would see gracing the covers of magazines or gliding down red carpets. But it is the body that has bourn two children. You may be like me and have avoided the mirror. You may have had a hard time letting your husband look at you again. You may have wondered again and again why the whole process of bringing forth life has to be so....ugly.

It's for a bigger purpose.

My stretch marks may not be what is considered beautiful by today's standards. But they remind me of the scars Jesus took upon His body to redeem me from sin.

My extra skin that isn't as tight and toned as it used to be may not seem that appealing when I look in the mirror. But it does make me remember that the Lord looks at my heart - not my outward appearance.

Those few pounds that I just.can't.seem.to.lose may frustrate me and make me feel completely unattractive. But they serve to overwhelmingly bless me when my husband takes me into his arms and tells me I'm beautiful.

We need some perspective, girls. And we need some joy. God gave us children - a heritage - whom He calls a blessing. What price can you put on a reward from the Lord??

When I look - I mean really look! - at these little faces, the stretch marks, the extra few pounds, and my size 8 jeans don't bother me anymore. These little munchkins that wreaked havoc on my physical body have brought me closer to Jesus. They have shown me my spiritual appearance and have made me fall at the feet of Christ time and time again. From the very first kick in utero, to the midnight crying and daytime tantrums, they have given me a glimpse of the depth of God's love. They are worth every bit of labor pains and weight gain. If healthy eating habits and exercise don't quite get me back to my pre-pregnancy body, it's okay.

It's okay.

Because I have a husband that loves me more now than the day we were married. I have two adorable and completely squeezable children whom I love to bits!

And I have a Creator who made me to be exactly what I am.

So yeah, pregnancy made my body better. I'm a woman who has been given the honor of being a wife and mommy, and who has learned more of Jesus and His glory through my human imperfections.

It's better that way.

Proverbs 31:30
"Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the Lord, she shall be praised."