From Six-Packs to Stretch Marks

I recently had gallbladder surgery where they poked four little holes in my abdomen and sucked out that tiny, evil organ that made my life absolutely unbearable for 3 days straight. When I went in for my post op checkup, the surgeon told me not to be too worried about the scars - that they should fade with time. I shot him the "Oh! You're serious right now" look and started laughing. "Doc, have you SEEN the amount of stretchmarks I'm sporting? I look like I've been mauled by a tiger, those four little holes just add variety."

For those of you lovely ladies who were lucky enough to make it to the other side of pregnancy unscathed, congrats! For me, I stretched farther than I thought was humanly possible and I've got the marks to prove it. Each pregnancy added to this bizarre canvas on my midsection.

And these marks are a funny thing. They represent so much more than the tragic end to my bikini days. They tell a story. They remind me of a time in my life where my tiny little miracles temporarily inhabited space in that vacant void in my body and took up permanent residency in my heart, a time when my babies grew and moved in ways that only I could experience. These marks represent love and sacrifice.

Not only do we mothers sacrifice our bodies, but we sacrifice our time, our attention, our wants and desires - all for this small human being that enters our lives in a very big way.

If you think about it, these marks can serve as a loose reflection of another Person that boasts some very costly scars as a result of how He sacrificed for and loved His children. What an awesome thought! We as mothers have this opportunity to, on our own micro human scale, show the sacrifice and love that our Savior has shown for us. So, to all of my fellow mamas reading this, embrace those stretch marks. They are a picture of beauty and grace, love and sacrifice - something well worth celebrating!