More than a Number

Whenever I call my doctor’s office or my dentist’s office one of the first things they ask for is my Insurance card number, which is followed by my pertinent information: name, birthdate, etc. To these medical professionals I am merely a few keystrokes on a keyboard and a series of statistics.

Because I’m a woman and tend to navigate my way through life according to my feelings, I sometimes wonder if that’s how God sees us; as nothing more than statistics. Does He only see our height and weight; our eye color or all of the bad habits we’re unwilling to let go of? Does God only see me as a woman with brown hair who happens to be a socially handicapped introvert who talks too much when she gets nervous? Are we more than the statistics that encompass our physical and emotional makeup?

On my particularly vulnerable days, I wonder the exact opposite – does God see me at all? Am I invisible to the Creator of the Universe? Does He know or care that I’m plagued by insecurities and fear?

The good news is that whenever we’re struggling with our identity in Christ and wondering where we fit in on this planet comprised of more than seven billion people – God not only sees us – He knows our name and exactly how many hairs number our head. Matthew 10:30

Psalm 139 is one of my favorite passages of Scripture and should be mandatory, required reading for anyone suffering from low self-esteem or depression. When I read that God saw me as I was being formed in my mother’s womb and that every day of my life was laid out before a single day had passed, it reminds me that even though I may have not felt love from those closest to me while growing up – God always saw me. When I was rejected by my first husband, I am assured that the precious thoughts that God continually has about me outnumber the grains of sand.

Rest assured, Sisters in Christ – we are more than statistics or a number on a census to our Heavenly Father. When the enemy creeps in and tries to make us doubt our Father’s love for us we would do well to remember to thank God for making us so wonderfully complex! Psalm 139:14. We are not invisible to the Savior!

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. Psalm 139:1, 3 (NLT)

Blessings in Christ,
Kathy Kurlin
Author
www.kathleenkurlin.com

Ugly Duck Swan Song

Katy Perry has a song called “Roar” which is somewhat reminiscent of an old Helen Reddy song from the mid-70s called, “I am Woman Hear me Roar.” To which I say – what’s with all this lady roaring stuff?

Me, I’m not much of a roar-er; barely even qualifying for a modest meow. The very suggestion of roaring implies that one must be willing to be confrontational – which I am not.

My pussycat personality is such a huge part of who I am, I was caught completely off guard recently when I responded to an offensive Facebook post with an uncharacteristic roar. A friend of mine had posted a link to a video lambasting the media for objectifying women in magazine ads and commercials. The video highlighted the practice of airbrushing models and celebrities to make them appear thinner, more smooth-skinned and much more cleavage-endowed than they truly are. The common practice of photo-shopping and air-brushing has caused an alarming increase in bulimia and anorexia in young girls and women of all ages who are desperately trying to measure up to these “perfect” images.

The video pointed out that women feel inferior because they can’t compete with these flawless looking women. It also suggested that men are part of the problem oftentimes struggling with commitment issues because their girlfriends and wives don’t measure up to the women in these ads.

My fury was ignited when a man posted a comment on my friend’s Facebook page after watching the video stating: “Not all women are born to be beautiful. That’s obvious.”

I rarely comment on Facebook posts but this man’s statement stirred a pot of emotions bubbling over with righteous indignation on this very sensitive subject. This is a topic that’s close to my heart. As a young girl being made fun of because of my weight or my looks, I carried around that ugly duckling image of myself for many years. Sadly, I’m not alone in this ugly-duckling-syndrome, as many women have been made to feel less-than-beautiful at one time or another.

It wasn’t until I really let myself fall in love with Jesus and allowed myself to accept His love and healing that I was able to see myself as He has always seen me. My Lord sees my heart and my beauty is reflected through His eyes. The more I love Jesus and the more I grasp how wide and deep His love is for me, the more beautiful I become. Jesus thinks I’m beautiful – and what’s more: He thinks YOU are beautiful as well.

For any woman who wrestles with a poor self-image and finds herself constantly struggling with her looks – STOP IT! God doesn’t want us to compare ourselves with anyone else; in fact, He likely is very saddened by our negative self-talk.

We can be transformed from ugly ducklings into beautiful swans if we will stop comparing ourselves to the images we see on television and in magazines. We must start believing God’s Word that says, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!   Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.” (Psalm 139:14 NLT)

If anyone should ever dare to say to any of us that “Not all women are born to be beautiful,” we should point out that we are made in the Heavenly Father’s image and we were all born to be beautiful!

I am beautiful and you’re gonna hear me roarrrrrrrr!

Blessings in Christ,
Kathy Kurlin
Author
www.kathleenkurlin.com