Finally, I am at peace with my body. God has helped me through anorexia, a problem rooted in deep internalized shame. Now I am thankful that I've found my happy weight, my body is healthy and functioning well, and God has created me with a uniquely beautiful appearance.
May I continue to be content with the way I am designed, caring for my physical form as a temple of the Holy Spirit and trusting God, the Great Artist.
Today I met a girl with anorexia. She had a thin body indeed...and I also noticed tooth decay and fine hairs growing all over her face. Starving oneself to be so thin is unhealthy and unnatural, eventually leading to death.
The root of anorexia is vanity. The "illness" became common only after the media bombarded everyone with the unnaturally thin ideal, but that is not God's standard. In reality, being underweight is unattractive.
Rejecting the world's standards isn't easy. Though I no longer expose my mind to the mass media, I still battle against the idea that beauty = stick thin. That just isn't the way God made me, or most women. Lord, please help me ignore the world's lies and be content with the way I am made.
God is the artist, and I am the creation. How could my striving improve upon the work of the greatest artist of all, who is infinitely greater than the likes of Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Mucha (my personal favorite)? God, help me remember that You have designed me the way I am for Your own pleasure.
Thank You, God, for setting me free from anorexia. You have been so patient with me. Today I've decided to give up any last remnant of eating disordered thoughts. You set before me life and death, and I have chosen life....An eating disorder only leads to death. May I no longer strive to control the way I look, and instead be content with the way I've been made.