I was introduced to this book after reading the recently published Lovely earlier this year. Amanda and Nicole have a podcast which is pretty great. I'm intrigued by these books growing up hearing the phrase "this is the summer we get skinny" over and over again. I've struggled with my size for quite a few years ... maybe since puberty. I don't see myself as 'averaged sized' or even a 'likable size' most often. Most of society encourages this idea regarding my body shape which just fuels my inner critic.
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The book dove into a couple of really interesting paths that I had never considered. Nicole talks about "diet devotional" and how fatness is seen as evidence of sin in your life when the prosperity Gospel is being proclaimed.
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The truth, the real truth, of the matter is that there are a lot of things we don't always have control of. Also, it should not be a person's 'full-time job' or 'thing they should always being concerned about' to diet, lose weight, and change their body in order to be accepted in society.
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Nicole dives deep into what this practically looks like in our culture. She walks through the ways that the Church is hurting people of a 'non-average body size' and keeping them from the love the Lord has for them - because that's not based on our body size.
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This quote at the very end is fantastic:
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Your body may not be beautiful by someone else's standards (or yours). It may be sick or disabled or full of pain. But the truth is, your body is made in the image of God. It is worthy of love and care and dignity. It is reasonable to expect our communities - especially communities of faith - to be places that acknowledge that truth and welcome us into life-giving community.
The things in this book are usually 'whispered' or only talked about in therapy or shamed by society - we need to talk about them more openly! Let's changed the conversation!
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