Don't Hate. Appreciate.

Don’t Hate. Appreciate.

A little over a month ago, I decided I needed to make some changes in my life. I had just started my first big girl job as a PTA, moved to a new town where I knew a total of 1 person, and left the comfort of my family and friends, a whole state away. Adulthood was finally hitting me, right across the face. I was excited, but also nervous. I was finally starting to make real money and start a new life of my own, all by myself. So with a new life, I decided there should be a new me.

Now, there was nothing necessarily bad about the old me, but I just knew I could be better. I could live a life that would be better for me and that would benefit me in the future. A life I could look back on and be proud of. A life the Lord would be proud of. I decided to start finding healthy ways to fill my cup so I could pour into others. And the first way I started to do this was physically changing my health.

At the end of September I finally made the decision to commit to a virtual gym. I had already been a member of a regular gym but couldn't get out of the same old routine. I found myself just doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result. And that my friends, is the definition of insanity. The pinterest workouts were just not doing it for me, folks, and I was just not seeing many results. Thankfully, my friend Mikki, would slide into my DM’s every so often and put this idea of a virtual gym in my mind. Didn’t think too much of it at first, but then I started seeing her amazing results, not just physically but her mental status as well, and I knew that was exactly what I needed. So I thought, “what the heck, why not?!” And I joined my very first virtual gym!

With the virtual gym, I got put into an awesome support group full of women with the same goal in mind, better themselves. I received so much encouragement, support, accountability, and made numerous new friends! But that's not even all of it. I also got a whole month free of superfoods and a years worth of some of the best nutrition plans out there! I was finally taking steps towards a new and improved me!

What I wasn’t expecting with all of this was the spiritual growth that would occur. You might be wondering, “How does eating better and working out bring you closer to the Lord?” Trust me, I wasn’t sure at first either, but now it makes sense. He was the one that blessed me with the bravery to say yes and take my first step. He was the one that gave me the motivation to workout everyday, and somehow made it joyful. He helped break the chains of unhealthy cravings. He brought me patience when I thought I was plateauing. But most importantly, He helped me find the beauty within myself again. He cast out all the lies from the enemy stating, “you’re ugly,” or “you’ll never look like her,” or, even worse, the feelings of body shame, embarrassment, and failure. Sometimes I even remember thinking, “because of my body, I will never be loved.” FALSE!!

The Lord loved me all along, even when I stopped taking care of my body (His temple). The Lord saw magnificent beauty in me, from the very first day and never saw any different. The Lord made me who I was, am, and will be, all in His PERFECT image. The Lord made me in His likeness, and the same goes for you! Even if you don’t love Him or how He made you, He still does. And He made you to be loved, just like he made me to be loved. We are His BELOVED. And because of this I am nothing but thankful!

I am so thankful that God gave me the courage to say, “Yes,” to my friend Mikki. I am so thankful that by just saying yes, God blessed me with new, loving, and encouraging friends who want the best for me, just like themselves. I am so thankful for the physical, mental, and most importantly, the spiritual change I have seen in myself, because the Lord pushed me to say yes. I am so thankful that I am starting to see myself the way the Lord sees me. I am so thankful I am finally becoming the woman God created me to be! And with this in mind, I ask you, please don’t hate, but appreciate.

Don’t hate on the process that so many like me are going through. Don’t hate on those who are trying to better themselves. Don’t even hate on those who haven’t even said yes for themselves yet. And especially, don’t hate on yourself. Whatever stage you or someone might be in, don’t hate, because we were made to be loved and appreciated. Appreciate all the different stages, all the different processes, all the yeses and the no’s. Just take a step back for a moment, and just appreciate where you are, and where someone else might be in this struggle of a life we all go through. So please, I beg you, don’t hate, appreciate.

And I pray:

I pray that You, Lord, continue to make me brave, along with so many others. I pray that You always bless us with courage and strength when we feel weak and discouraged. I pray that we all may love those who are struggling and those who are succeeding. I pray that we may find joy in the process of bettering ourselves and encouraging others. I pray that we may always find Your presence in the midst of greatness. I pray we look to You in times of need. I pray that we may ALWAYS give you all the praise and the glory You deserve! I love You Lord, and I thank You. Amen.

--Your Beloved Daughter

1 Corinthians 6:19-20 - “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not you own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.”

Genesis 1:17 - “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.”

Colossians 3:12 - “So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

John 15:12 - “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.”

Appreciate definition - "to recognize or understand the full worth of." - Oxford dictionary

Beloved definition - "dearly loved or a much loved person." - Oxford dictionary