At some point you have to stop wearing maternity clothes.
At three months out I’m in that weird “can wear regular pants but still occasionally wear maternity pants” stage. A stage I just made up a name for.
The thing is, I have these maternity pants that don’t really look like maternity pants. They just have a big elastic waistband at the top instead of a button and zipper…pants I will not wear anymore because that description just made me shudder.
They’re comfy, they’re easy, I’ve gotten used to them.
I have lost all of the weight I gained in my pregnancy with Silas.
Which just means that now I get to start working on the left over pregnancy weight from Eli, Cora and Ezra.
My problem is that when I’m wearing those maternity pants I forget about working out or dieting. Those stretchy band pants are significantly looser than they were when I was 9 months pregnant.
I feel good about where I’m at in relation to where I was.
Then I step on the scale. The scale does not lie.
The scale tells me where I’m at in relation to where I should be.
It’s a wake up call from my stretchy pants.
After a while the weight can no longer be blamed on the baby. It transitions from baby weight to just normal “no excuse” weight.
Ten years from now no one is going to take me seriously if I call it baby weight.
::
I asked Jesus into my heart when I was 5-years-old. Then I did it again about 6 more times to make sure it had stuck.
Suffice to say, I didn’t have a dramatic conversion experience.
I always felt bad about that, like I was less of a Christian because I hadn’t been saved from much. I was a good little girl and I wasn’t too much of a trouble maker growing up. Well, there was that one time…
However, comparing myself to “others” who are out there sinning is like wearing my maternity pants.
I’m looking at what I could have been instead of what I should be:
Live in peace with each other
Always try to be kind to each other
Be joyful always
Pray continually
Give thanks in all circumstances
Avoid every kind of evil
Be imitators of God
Do all things without grumbling or complaining
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit.
::
Although I could be worse, I could also be better.
Ten years from now no one is going to take me seriously if I’m the same person then as I am today.
Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. Romans 12:2-3, emphasis mine
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c o n v i c t i o n.
i need to stop thinking about where i have it together and start asking the Lord where/what/how i need to grow. this was a great piggy back off the sermon our pastor preached yesterday.
don’t you hate how everyone elses sins seem like the “biggies” while ours always seems “less bad”. . .ugh. i know i will always be a work in progress. . .
great reminder, melissa!!
The hope for me comes when I remember that, although I am a work in progress, it is the Holy Spirit who is doing the work in me. It is not our job to make these changes. It is our job to remain in relationship with God through spending time in the Word, praying and worship so that the Holy Spirit can complete the work that was begun in us.
I had to laugh at this post because I’m one month out from delivery and am definitely still wearing some of my maternity clothes. I don’t think I wore maternity clothes this long after the boys were born. I’m feelin’ ya! Thanks for the spiritual connection though too. I will think of that when I put on my stretch waist pants. 🙂
I’m not feeling good today, so I’m ready through all the comments while wearing a maternity T-shirt and yoga pants. Haha! So ironic. 🙂 I think a month out is totally fine for wearing maternity pants. How’s the boys adjusting to baby girl?
This sounds like something I realized back in my “trouble-making days.” I would tell myself that at least I wasn’t as bad as some people I knew, but the truth is, God doesn’t grade on a curve.
But as far as dieting goes, I feel free to congratulate myself on not being as fat as probly some other people are, and on at least being skinnier than I was, at some point, maybe. 🙂
A little self-encouragement goes a long way.
Haha! Your comment made me laugh. 🙂 Love you, Nellie! 🙂
Um, I STILL wear maternity clothes, and my kids are 8 and 6! WHAT? 😉 I like the skirt, what can I say! Hehe! God changes us from the inside out. I didn’t have a big “conversation” experience, either, but I am absolutely a living testimony of His grace and mercy.
I’m glad He is the one who changes us, even with a mustard seed of faith and obedience. Just this weekend, I exchanged my name from “love” in I Corinthians 13. I failed everything because I am not patient, I am not kind, I am not, any of these things. But when I put Jesus’ name in exchange for mine, I see HE IS EVERYTHING.
And that, my sister, is a blessing! He will be all those things for you, when you are not! Can I get an amen? Haha!
The best part of it all is that we have Grace! He calls me to be transformed, provides the tools (Holy Spirit, Bible, church body) to make the transformation, and doesn’t love me any more or less based on my progress or lack there of. And as far as the maternity clothes, I have a number of sun dresses that I will still wear. 🙂 It’s just those stretchy waist band pants. Haha!
Great post. You made me laugh and brought a great reminder. This is awesome: “It’s a wake up call from my stretchy pants.”
We need more wake up calls from our metaphorical stretchy pants. We can get way too comfortable! Thanks Melissa.
Thanks Jason. Your comment made me think of a Friends episode where Joey wore Phoebe’s maternity pants on Thanksgiving so he could eat an entire turkey. I don’t know why, but I thought I’d share. Haha!
confession: i’ve never had a baby and i totally bought a maternity dress a few months ago. it was just so cute and totally was one of those that doesn’t look like maternity and no one will know! hehe 🙂
but in all seriousness this is a good reminder that even when you’ve come so far and can see the progress…to keep on pressing on!
Funnily enough, many of the dresses I wore during my pregnancy were not maternity dresses. The styles lately have been ones that work whether they’re maternity or not. 🙂
I now want some stretchy pants. :/
I’ll send you mine. I’m done with them. 🙂
I love the way you write…and think.
Haha! Thanks. 🙂