Naked People in the Doctor's Office

Naked people bombarded me at the doctor's office today. As I sat, waiting forever for my mandatory 2-minute appointment, I began to browse the magazines that littered the waiting room. I enjoy looking at doctor's office magazines, because they are full of stuff that is stupid. Every baby magazine is one that is backed by the AAP, so they spout a very clear agenda, and give ridiculous advice to new moms. Then there are the working-mom-magazines that tell supermom how her baby will be totally okay without her for the majority of his tiny, brand-new-life.

But the ones I like best are the ones with the naked people. I mean, who can resist naked people, right? Its sort of a joke, but go with me, okay? The naked people magazines are actually what most women refer to as 'fashion magazines'. After looking at these things for a few minutes, it is obvious why so many women hate themselves. In the pages of one small magazine alone, I counted 24 naked or nearly naked women (nearly naked refering to women in their underwear or bikinis.)

Now, would any of us Christian women allow 24 different women to come to our homes and parade around it naked or nearly naked? NO!! Then why are we allowing these images into our heads through a magazine? I once had a conversation with a mom about why I don't go to the mall. I told her that I didn't want to expose my sons' to the images that were in some of the store windows (namely Victoria's Secret and Abercrombie). She replied by telling me that it was okay for her because she only had a daughter. Unfortunately, she didn't understand how these images can effect young girls and women.

Women are notoriously under-concerned about this issue. We need to be just as careful as men about the images that we put into our minds. Perhaps not for sexual purity reasons, although many women are also in bondage to pornography and related issues. Most women, though, hate the way they look and spend a crazy amount of time and energy trying to be more 'beautiful'. If we have a constant stream of unrealistic women who have trainers, hair-colorist, and air brushing on their side, its no wonder that we dislike our NORMAL bodies.

We are made in the image of Christ, not in the image of Beyonce. We have earthly bodies that will fail us. We will experience pregnancy and childbirth multiple times. We will get too busy to moisturize, and too tired to exercise. Why waste time and energy trying to make these bodies into something they were never meant to be? Of course we should put forth effort to stay attractive for our husbands, but we need to stop allowing worldy magazines to define our idea of attractive.

Just as our husbands will have unhealthy and unnatural expectations of us if they allow those images to constantly bombard their minds, we will have unhealthy and unnatural expectations of ourselves if we do the same.

Let's take those naked people magazines and put them to good use...a warm fire for the coming winter.

4:18 PM - Aug. 7, 2008 - post comment

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jones9387 - 11:17 PM - Aug. 9, 2008

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Love this!

How true. I wonder why those women's magazines put those kinds of pictures in them? I wonder what their agenda is? Great post. I hope you're doing well!
~winter

kristigirl444 - 6:32 PM - Aug. 10, 2008

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modest Fashion

check this magazine out:

http://www.elizamagazine.com/index.php

I doubt you will find any naked people : )

~Nikki

Anonymous - 12:18 AM - Aug. 14, 2008

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Great Comments

Loved your post. Everything you said is so true. I worry about my little boys minds, too. It seems like Mission Impossible.

Kristie from RGT

Anonymous - 10:44 PM - Aug. 22, 2008

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Untitled Comment

I think its all in how children are raised and what their values are. If you can't handle your child walking through a mall b/c of the maniquins your children will be in for a rude awakening when they are older. Maybe instead of sheilding your children from it you should try teaching them what's appropriate and what's not. Some people enjoy those magazines (not saying I'm one of them) why should the magazines stop just b/c you can't have a chat with your kids .If you don't like seeing then I suggest maybe you should stop picking up those kids of magazines. Obviously you were intrigued if you took not only the time to count them...but the energy to remember it all and blog about it.

Anonymous - 3:39 PM - Aug. 24, 2008

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