Comfortable in my own skin

I'm a big person. I'll give you a moment to absorb that.

In America everyone (except mean middle schoolers) is polite enough to never mention another person's weight. Overseas everyone comments on my size.

I usually just say, "Thank You." When I'm greeted with, "You're so BIG!"

The other day the pastor was introducing me to a group of visiting Americans. He said, "This is brother Michael. He's handsome ... but, SO BIG!"

I wish you could hear a recording of this statement. His voice zoomed into the heavenlies like a 90s horror princess realizing the killer is behind her. SO BIG!

Indescribable. The Americans audibly gasped, it was such a rude statement by American standards.

So, I'm working through the process of being comfortable in my own skin.

I'm getting used to the gawking masses at the swimming pool. I'm laughing off falseto exclamations of my gigantic size in public places. I'm framing pictures where I'm thrice-and-again the size of my asian friends.

I'm accepting that God loves me at any size and called me to the mission field with the full knowledge that I will be huge anywhere I go in the world.

I'm getting comfortable in my own skin.