More Than Skin Deep

I am a bit perturbed tonight there is a fun word. We have a thing at my work called *personal best* a wellness/exercise type program which is very cool since we are a medical/dental insurance co and promote health and well-being...... all good. Well, today our president gave a pep talk to the whole company encouraging us all to exercise and work out even had a local gym come to sign people up as members. Excellent all for it!!!

The thing that irks me is an attitude i percieved from people that you are somehow deficient if you are not going to a gym or exercising regularly. i am a bit sensitive to this issue because I am one who doesn't exercise often, but i do not think that in itself should be a checkpoint to judge my value as a person. This is kind of an addendum to posts i have made before about physical appearance. Who doesn't want to be in top shape and looking good and attractive??? Certain factors happen in life which create roadblocks to achieving those desires though. I think back to grade school. I have flat feet, always have had them, they make it hard for me to jump because i have no arch to get lift with. I also had an unusual gait or walk and especially when i ran it looked alot like a duck waddling. i also was very tall for my age in grade school and took a long time developing my coordination. i managed just fine with these limitations, was able to play sports and do quite well usually. The thing is though there were always many who seemed to focus and see my physical struggles as opposed to seeing me.

i had this happen again in jr high.. when i developed a severe case of acne. i was brand new to my school and city having just moved to california from new jersey and of course still had an accent. My acne was the only thing many of those kids saw when they saw me. Of course this kind of stuff happens universally no matter where you live but i am just illustrating my point. In the church I joined shortly after becoming a christian when i was 16 it was a upper middle class church as far as the mix of people. Majority of them wore very expensive clothes and thought it was an essential part of the makeup of being a church member...... wear your best for the Lord. Nothing wrong with that really, unless it becomes a law and excludes any who might not have the money nor fashion desire to wear the best clothes. I was told to change my clothes style after becoming involved in working with youth there because i would not reach the kids if i wasn;t dressed as they were. i even had a friend who was college age.... a few years later tell me people would not even take time to get to know me or want to know me because i wasn;t dressed accordingly!!!! SAY WHAT???!!!???

I really am not seeking to make this a whine-fest or a pity party in any way shape or form. I just do not like that ,even among christians, its our physical appearance that gets focused on. Experiencing rejection,verbal and physical abuse directly because of how we look is THE real reason so many choose to NOt work out or take better care of their bodies. Once someone does lose weight and firm up does that change them really?? makes them alot nicer to the eyes as well as very healthy and benefits in that regard no question,,,, but i just think our value should be no LESS even if we stay fat and out of shape our whole life.

I appreciate all feedback and to see how this sits with all who read it. Again, I am NOT trying to promote laziness and being a couch potato or hopeless slob... I Am seeking to say none of us should have our worth based on this which ultimately squelches any motivation to CHANGe and become active exercisers because of the rejectiun and sense of shame.

Thank you whoever passes thru :)