"...I think it is important to pray naked in front of a full-length mirror sometimes, especially when you are full of loathing for your body. Maybe you think you are too heavy. Maybe you have never liked the way your hipbones stick out. do your breasts sag? Are you too hairy? It is always something. Then again, maybe you have been sick or come through some surgery that has changed the way you look. You have gotten glimpses of your body as you have bathed or changed clothes, but so far maintaining your equilibrium has depended upon staying covered up as much as you can....This can only go on so long, especially for someone who officially believes that God loves flesh and blood, no matter what kind of shape it is in.
Whether you are sick or well, lovely or irregular, there comes a time when it is vitally important for your spiritual health to drop your clothes, look in the mirror, and say,
"Here I am.
This is the body-like-no-other that my life has shaped.
I live here.
This is my soul's address".
After you take a good look around, you may decide that there is a lot to be thankful for, all things considered.
from An Altar in the World by Barbara Brown Taylor
A suggestion for your prayer and meditation:
I think Barbara Brown Taylor has already given us a suggestion. Question is, which of us will actually do it?
Pastor Patty Fox 40 days with 40 Christian mystics
I might not love my body but it's strong and healthy. Apart from a bit of structural damage (back and feet) I'm doing OK. My body works, even though I don't give it enough respect. I've started exercising again this week after a few years in the wilderness- I want to give my body the respect it deserves. I might not love how my body looks but I love what it can do.
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