A Perfect 10 Isn't About Being a Size 2

Getting ready for the day this morning. I looked in the mirror and saw a very imperfect body. But when I looked closer, I saw something beyond the physical appearance. I saw a con"ten"ted soul.

Okay, I won't lie, I wouldn't mind shedding some pounds. But, all in all, I have a very blessed life. My pants aren't size 2 and my life may not seem ideal to others, but God has given me con"ten"tment.

When you look at what I have: a deep personal relationship with my Savior, a faithful godly husband, two very lively loving boys, a warmly pleasant home and a beat up but still running Honda, I think you can see that I am blessed as my list is obviously only the beginning.

This thought brought me back to a time six or so years ago (before Ephraim was born) when a dear friend became very frustrated and actually angry with me. She told me in a nut shell that I had it "too good" that people couldn't relate to me because my life seemed "too perfect". What did I know about "real life"? I had a "perfect" husband and healthy bouncing baby boy (Carson) and a "cushy" job as Director of Youth Ministries at my church.

What my dear friend didn't take into account was that at that point in my life, I had lost my father and had other painful losses. In fact, I was a person who was always struggling and the one who wasn't the perfect size 2. But all that changed when I came to know Jesus as my personal Savior.

The losses I had faced were still profound, but I could rise above them. Others saw me as someone who "had it all" because of what Christ did for me. My friend and I worked out the tension between us and she came to understand who I really was. A sinner clothed in Christ.


A few years later, I had my "Job" moment. It was as if the devil said to the LORD, "Sara seems to have it all, but what if you threw her nice neat little world into a spin?". Like Job, I had a very outwardly wonderful life, then came Ephraim. After a near perfect pregnancy, Ephraim was born with two serious heart defects. My "perfect" world came crumbling down, but my faith did not.

Troy and I faced the most challenging days of our lives in Ephraim's early years. But, we did not curse God, or turn from our faith. In fact we learned to be con"ten"t in our circumstances. Our faith was tested, but it did not fail. It did not fail because we had Christ as our Rock.

I am not a size 2, and in the world's eyes I am certainly not a Perfect 10. But I do have the same confidence as the Apostle Paul who wrote in Philippians 4:11b-13: "I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength".

I am con"ten"t with what God has given me. A perfect 10 for sure.