Sacred Body. Sacred You.
I remember the first time I heard Nicole share that our bodies are sacred to God. Wow! It just left me feeling in awe of God’s greatness. I was amazed at the thought that God created my body sacred. I really don’t remember anyone ever saying that to me before. I was mesmerized by hearing how special, worthy, and beautiful I am to God!
“Your body is sacred to God.” When was the first time you heard that? And when was the last time you heard someone say that? I grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and do not ever remember hearing someone say my body was sacred to God. At one point in my childhood I thought I wanted to be a showgirl. I grew up taking dance classes and one day thought “Why not be a showgirl… you get to dress up in those beautiful costumes!” Of course I didn’t know the full extent of what it meant to be a showgirl.
I enjoyed growing up in Las Vegas though because it was a fun and fabulous place. I learned about God here and there but I didn’t know him well. It wasn’t until my late 20s that I came to learn about him more deeply.
In my teen years I really didn’t understand this concept about my body being sacred to God. Did you understand it? What I came to learn as a young woman was that you could use your body to get attention and affection from men. I also discovered that this attention and
affection didn’t always come with commitment. Needless to say my experiences with men have caused lots of pain that I’ve had to work through to find healing for my heart, mind, body, soul and spirit. It’s so refreshing to me now whenever I hear that a woman’s body is sacred to God!
“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand – when I awake, I am still with you.” See Psalm 139:13-18
These scriptures remind me that women were created sacred and deserve to be treated special. We are sacred to God and he wants us to feel that way about ourselves. He also wants the men in our lives to treat us sacredly. How amazing is that?
I’ve come to see that in this world there are challenges that can knock you off the narrow path. However, I am encouraged that God wants us to get back up and on that narrow path regardless of what we’ve done. God is love and shows this in his forgiving heart. He is willing to forgive you for anything. While others may not be so forgiving, God is absolutely that forgiving. How does that make you feel?
Now, I’d like to share a wonderful, little meditation with you. Okay? You’re gonna take 3 deep breaths. You’ll inhale through your nose counting to five silently, hold the breath counting to five silently, and exhale through your mouth counting to five silently. After exhaling the third breath you’re gonna take a moment to focus on the amazing things God has created. Ready, set, go…
I am grateful for God’s infinite capacity to love us as we grow and walk in his wonderful ways. You are a beautiful, sacred temple to God!
-Pamela Wright, Pamela learned about the birds and the bees growing up in Las Vegas. She’s a wife, mom of 3, and Los Angeles lawyer.
