Appreciating Our Bodies

There are a lot of things that I love about being pregnant (including a few that I don’t).  One of the things I love most, however, is having a renewed awareness of the functional role that my body plays in the miraculous process of growing a human life.  In our culture, it is so easy to view our bodies in terms of our appearance and whether we are happy with our appearance.  At least for me, though, being pregnant reminds me of the far grander purpose and miracle of the female body. 

For two years prior to this pregnancy, my husband and I struggled with infertility in our quest to have a second child.  Throughout this process, I became very well educated about the intricacies of human reproduction.  There are literally thousands of tiny little processes that have to work just right in order for a healthy baby to be born.  Now. whenever I hear about a friend’s pregnancy, I want to jump for joy and exclaim, “It’s a miracle!”  This probably makes people think that I’m crazy, but I really believe it to be true!  Our bodies are amazing in what they are able to do. 

Beyond being pregnant and giving birth, our bodies are integral to our jobs as mothers.  Even if our children are adopted, are stepchildren, or came into our lives some other way, we still need our bodies to love and care for them.  We hold our babies and wrap them in our hugs with our arms.  We feed them, change them and play with them with our hands. We listen to their first words, smell their delicious baby smell, wipe their tears, and the list goes on and on.  Our bodies carry us around our homes and our communities as we go about our mothering tasks. 

Throughout our lives, our bodies allow us to experience the full bounty of love and life that God has given us.  We can smell the air after a fall rain, marvel at the beauty of God’s creation, hug the loved ones we are so lucky to share our lives with, and engage in all of the wonderful things that life has to offer.  I have been blessed with mostly good health.  When I remember all the good things that a healthy body allows me to experience and enjoy, I am reminded of how silly it is to be concerned with what I sometimes consider to be my body’s imperfections. 

Romans 12: 1-2 says, “present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.”  According to God, our bodies are holy and acceptable.  To have a healthy body with which to love, live and mother is an amazing, precious gift from God.  As far as God is concerned, my body is holy and acceptable.  On good days I am able to remember this.  I hope you will too.  

--Emily Fountain