Although it’s not a secret, I don’t often share about my recovery from disordered eating publicly. I’ve spent the last 16 years (good God) learning to surrender, accept my body as is, speak out against body injustice, and choose food that feels like a good choice in the moment.
On that journey I have met many powerful healers, primarily Isabel Duke but also Geneen Roth, Annie Lamont, Brenee Brown, and Catherine Hummel. On Friday night at Diaconal formation Marilee Comford joined that list.
Marilee led us in this beautiful prayer practice calls the GRACE prayer. After naming an intention for the prayer you walk/move through the five letters.
G – gratitude
R – release
A – acceptance
C – challenge
E – embrace
My intention for my prayer was body, as it had been a more difficult week in the healing department. I asked God to open me to the grace I might receive about my body.
G – I am grateful for the resilience and strength of my body when it’s been through so much.
R – I release the desires of empire that tell me to be a certain size.
… the next letter is A, acceptance, I’ve done a lot of body work so I imagined that I’d say “I accept my body just as it is.” But as I walked over to the A section the Spirit moved. She spoke to me, “What if you accepted yourself as beautiful?” That might seem like a slight reframe to some but the question still feels jarring to me.
A – I accept myself as beautiful.
C – I challenge myself to see beauty. I’ll hold this rock as a reminder.
E – I embrace where this journey might take me and I embrace God’s unending support along the way.
Natalie E. Thomas 
i love this. I’m finding the more I realize God’s beauty in me, the more I see it where I never did before.
love you – mom
On Mon, May 21, 2018 at 1:36 PM, Natalie Finstad wrote:
> Natalie E. Finstad posted: “Although it’s not a secret, I don’t often > share about my recovery from disordered eating publicly. I’ve spent the > last 16 years (good God) learning to learning to surrender, accept my body > as is, speak out against body injustice, and choose food that feel” >
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Yes, the observation about the inward/outward is so true. I love you too!
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Hi Natalie,
I admire your courage to speak honestly about your struggle with food and how serious a distorted perception of one’s body is. I know because my sister had suffered with this for over 60 years. I, myself, have been in recovery for 29 years from an alcohol addiction and am very active in a 12 step program. I’m a licensed alcohol and drug clinician and am more than happy to help others who struggle with this disease. Kudos to you for speaking about it…. I’m sure you have helped many with your honesty. Blessings to you!
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Thank you for this support and feedback Joanna. I’m so glad to hear of your recovery! And to know about your sister, our relationship with our body is a continual piece of work and I’m grateful to be on that journey (even if virtually) with people like you.
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