I have enjoyed my friendship with Teasi Cannon, author of My Big Bottom Blessing: How Hating My Body Led to Loving My Life. Teasi brings out the truth that “Loving the girl in the mirror isn’t about changing how you look but allowing God to change how you see.”
Here is Teasi Cannon’s Blog on Yah for a Big Rear!
“One day not long ago I was sweeping my kitchen floor in the near trance-like state of La La Land, when I was jolted to my senses by the precious voice of my 4-year-old nephew saying, “Aunt Teasi, you have a vahwee (very) big butt.”
“I set my broom aside, smoothed my shirt, and calmly turned to face him. Bright-eyed and curly-haired, he stood – completely oblivious to the fact that he had said the words no woman ever wants to hear. And then I let him have it. I bent down, coming only inches away from his little round face, and said, “Why…thank you!” Then I smiled big, stood to grab my broom, and returned unscathed to the task at hand.
“A few years ago those innocently spoken words would have completely obliterated me, and rather than a thank you, might have actually incited an immature come-back such as: “Oh, yeah? Well, you’re short and you talk funny.” But now, to the glory of God, moments like that are reminders to me that the miraculous has happened: I no longer hate my body (especially my back side); in fact, it has become one of the biggest blessings in my life.
“Like most women (really every woman I’ve ever met), I lived years literally disgusted with what I saw in the mirror. The territory between my ears felt like nothing short of a war zone, with battles being fought everywhere: the bathroom, the grocery store, the bedroom, even church. I could never silence the ambush-ready community of inner critics (those hurtful thoughts we all think) that called my head home. And I missed out on so much: parties I refused to attend because my pants were too tight, dates with my husband because of a few gained pounds, quality time with my kids. I know I’m not alone in this.
“We women have been lied to for years. We’ve been told that our value – our very right to be seen and celebrated – is determined by our waist-to-hip ratio or the proportions of our facial features, and that’s just not true. Our value is determined by the only One who really knows it: our God.
“After hitting my head hard on the floor of my personal pit of despair, I slowly began my journey toward believing that. One inch at a time of healing, truth, and righteous anger led me to a life-saving realization: All those years I was desperate to change how I looked, God was desperate to change how I see. And He did.
“Truth is, if God can make a prostitute the great grandmother of the Messiah, turn water into wine, and make blind men see; don’t you think He can turn a big bottom – or a big nose – or bird-thin legs – or whatever it is you hate – into a blessing?“
Tune in to listen to Teasi on Monday February 3 at 8 pm Central Time at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/suedetweiler/2014/02/04/how-hating-my-body-led-to-loveing-my-life–teasi-cannon.
Call in to speak with the host (323) 679-0977
Click here to buy Teasi’s book from Amazon.
Teasi, I love this line “Loving the girl in the mirror isn’t about changing how you look but allowing God to change how you see.” — I really appreciate your transparency.
‘Twas in the 80s that I had a discussion with my Creator and my husband. I came to the conclusion that I did not want to displease God by dissing what He created–me–and being so arrogant and pride to think for one minute I could improve on what He’d done. And so, I chose Him, life, blessings. I chose to be happy with myself exactly as He created me, and quit all make-up and never again cut -colored – or curled my hair. At the time, it was a little orange from a chemical perm on colored hair, so it wasn’t beautiful to say the least, but I do believe God has rewarded me for this stance. Plus I can go from scuzz to being in the car on the way in like ten minutes! No other woman ever wants to hear it though. Thanks for your book Teasi 🙂