Oh! There you are Peter!

“Oh! There you are Peter!” is my absolute favorite line from the 1991 classic movie, “Hook”. The scene makes me bawl every time I watch it and sometimes it even makes me cry just thinking about it. A grown up Peter Pan returns to Neverland to find his kids, who have been kidnapped by that dastardly Captain Hook Tinkerbell takes Peter to the Lost Boys, who don't believe that this old man is really Peter Pan and, truth be told Peter doesn't believe it either. The youngest of the Lost Boys walks up to Peter, tugs his shirt to pull him down to eye level, then starts pushing on Peter's face to pull back the years of worry lines and wrinkles. He stops suddenly, takes his hands away, smiles and says, “Oh! There you are Peter!” and all the rest of the Lost Boys crowd around to see.

Anyone who's known me for a while knows that in the last decade or so I've really let myself go. I mean really let myself go. I rarely wear make-up anymore, I don't actually “do” my hair just run a brush through it before I run out the door, I don't care about the clothes I wear, and, I'm scared that if I don't start doing something to get myself to a healthy weight, I won't get a chance before my body gives out. I look at myself and I wonder, “What am I doing? Why have I let this go on as long as I have?” And, I beat myself up over it telling myself absolutely horrible things about myself, things I wouldn't even say about someone I really don't even like, but I still do nothing to change so all I end up doing is perpetuating the cycle of defeat and self-depreciation. Well, that's what I did up until a few weeks ago when I had my own “Hook” moment as I was getting ready for a job interview, actually putting on make up, doing my hair and then looking in the mirror and having the thought, “Oh! There I am!”

I realize that this is a battle and that so far, I have been losing. I am fighting for my life, for my mental health, and ultimately for my soul, because I know that God has placed a calling on my life and if I continue listening to the enemy, thinking self-depreciating thoughts and feeling defeated, I will never do the work God has for me to do. I realize that regrouping, focusing and fighting the good fight is not going to be easy, but it must be done and I think the best way to start is to remind myself who I am.

1 – I am a child of God! John 1:12 (KJV) But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: 1 John 3:1 (KJV) Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.

2 – I am created in God's image! Genesis 1:26 – 27 (KVJ) And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

3 – I am fearfully and wonderfully made! Psalm 139:14 (KVJ) I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

Now, I'm not claiming to be an expert on scripture or theology. I've never been to bible college, I haven't studied ancient scripture, Hebrew, Greek, or other ancient languages. I just use my handy-dandy online study bible that has Hebrew and Greek definitions for certain words available. But, I do not think it's any coincidence that one of the names for God in the bible, Yahweh, is so very, very close to the word used for “fearfully” in Psalm 139:14 (above), yaw-ray. Call me crazy, but I think it might be like a little clue!

The bottom line is this: If God created us in his own image, what right does that give us to criticize the appearance of anyone – INCLUDING OURSELVES?!? And, if as it states in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, our bodies are temples in which the Holy Spirit, who God has given us, dwells, then what right do we have to not take care of them whether it be through physical abuse, substance abuse, neglecting our physical well being or excessively obsessing over our physical appearance?!?

I know it's not always going to be easy. I know there will be days that I feel like giving up and days that I don't feel like caring. But, I know that it is necessary, I know that the time for making this change is now. And, I also know that there is no better time to take the words in Philippians 4:13 (KVJ) to heart, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”