Dear teenage girls in the dressing room beside me,
A few days ago, I had the rare opportunity to spend 30 minutes shopping for clothes BY MYSELF. :) As I looked through the racks of dresses for spring, I noticed the two of you pulling off clothes to take to the fitting room. You seemed very stressed, which surprised me, given how many cute clothes were available on your rack. [MY rack, however, was definitely NOT a size 2, and the cute clothes were in much shorter supply. ] I got distracted by my own shopping and forgot about you for a few minutes.
However, a few minutes later as I was trying on clothes, I could hear the two of you talking in the dressing room beside me. As I struggled to find something that would fit AT ALL, much less be modest, I could hear the two of you moaning and complaining about how "fat" you looked in the outfits you had chosen. Amidst complaints of "this fat roll" showing or "my bottom looks huge," you both questioned whether or not "he" (whoever HE is) would like what you chose. You tried valiantly to encourage each other as you tried on clothes, but it seemed to me that you couldn't see past the image in the mirror to who you really are. At first I was slightly envious that you could fit in such a small size, while I struggled to find something in a size bigger than what I normally wear. Then, I must confess that I was a little angry that you "dared" to complain when you obviously did not have "fat" issues like so many of us. Just as quickly as those emotions came in to play, however, I was just sad. Sad, and sorrowful for you.
I debated about waiting for you when you came out and letting you know how beautiful you both are, but I decided that would seem totally creepy. Especially in a discount clothing store. I don't mean beautiful in how you look. As a matter of fact, I don't even remember what color hair either of you has, how tall you are, or anything else about your physical appearance. What I DO know, though, is that you were created in the image of God. He loves you enough that He created you special and unique in His sight. While He does want us to be humble, I believe He also wants us to see us as He does...a soul with great value to Him. Your souls are so valuable to Him that His son DIED FOR YOU. Too often we get way too caught up in what we look like (I'm talking to me here, too!!) on the outside and forget what REALLY matters! I became aware that day that we all have "body" issues or "self-image" issues, despite our size, and I realized how effective this area is for the devil to reach us. As you complained about your non-existent fat rolls, I cringed. I, too, had been grumbling about the dresses I was trying on that day. It made me angry that Satan has such a strong grip on women, especially young ones, in making them feel worthless, ugly, or "not good enough." The truth is that, without God, we can never be "good enough." However, with God, we are made perfect! Complete!
As the two of you wondered what "he" would think about your outfits, I wondered what HE (God) thinks about my choice of clothing. Not so much my "fashion sense" (or lack thereof), but what I choose to clothe myself in every day. Am I making sure to clothe myself in righteousness? Have I been washed clean and fully covered by the blood of Christ? Do I strive to "fit" into worldly things, or do I look for a way to be a good fit in Christ's body? How often do we care more about what people think than what God thinks? Girls, let me tell you from experience, if "he" only likes you because of what you are wearing, he DOESN'T LIKE YOU. He likes what he SEES of you, but not what is hidden in your heart and mind. You don't need to impress someone who only notices the clothing (or lack of it!) on your body. You don't need to impress someone who is counting your fat rolls or blemishes or whatever other things you see in the glass mirror of the dressing room. We need most to "impress" the one who sees our hearts.
I have prayed for you several times since that day in the dressing room. I feel like I missed an opportunity to help and encourage someone, and I am hopeful that someone will remind you of your value to the One who created you. I also have prayed that I will keep my "self-worth" and "self-image" in perspective and not get caught up in what size dress fits or the number on the scale or even how many gray hairs I have (by the way, it increases daily!).
Sincerely,
The not-size-2 in the room beside you :)
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