72 HOUR RULE: MEASURING UP

Consider the lilies of the field....
Matthew 6:28

RESPONSE TO RANT:

Matthew 6:28 “So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin;
29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these."

Maureen Procter of Meridian Magazine has written a very timely and insightful article for today's addition; it is called "The Lord is not the Accuser" Quote:

"Some of us have a critic in our heads, an evaluator who whisks through our lives with white gloves, running a disapproving finger over the dust that seems to settle everywhere, taking notes of the ways we don’t quite measure up, and scolding us, invisibly, for our failings.
It’s not surprising that we should have this voice, this souvenir of a fallen world. We’ve been evaluated since first breath. We’ve been graded in school, lined up according to achievement, having every part of us poked and prodded for vulnerabilities. We know that some attributes like wealth and visible position add to our social standing, but all this seems terribly precarious. We’re too much of this and too little of that, too fat, too tall, too thin, too short. We can sense when people don’t regard us." Maureen Procter/Meridian Magazine "The Lord is not the Accuser"

I stand by my rant,but not in a proud in your face way,but as one who at times is held hostage by the disapproving voice in my head. I know that this diatribe is about more than the fit of jeans,or finding the right size shoe. I believe that my identity is being challenged. I have found that as more of the "light" of the Saviour exposes the little dark corners of our lives,the more we are confronted with our present self and our future self. "We press toward the mark of the high calling" as the Apostle Paul exhorts us to do. But the dust of our former selves, that we attempt to "shake off our sandals", refuses to be busted.
Does it seem self absorbed to focus on our faults? I don't think so,as long as it does not become an obsession and then we can't appreciate the answers God gives us to our "rants". I believe that when our "eyes are opened" to the reality of the world,then we project it on to ourselves. The world is not a place for ordinary people anymore,but then the standards set by the world are unstable at best. To quote Sister Procter: "We know that some attributes like wealth and visible position add to our social standing, but all this seems terribly precarious. We’re too much of this and too little of that, too fat, too tall, too thin, too short"

Sister Julie Beck, General President of the Relief Society said this,its about how we all want to measure our success:

Measuring Success
"Good women always have a desire to know if they are succeeding. In a world where the measures of success are often distorted, it is important to seek appreciation and affirmation from proper sources. To paraphrase a list found in Preach My Gospel, we are doing well when we develop attributes of Christ and strive to obey His gospel with exactness. We are doing well when we seek to improve ourselves and do our best. We are doing well when we increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and seek out and help others who are in need. We know we are successful if we live so that we qualify for, receive, and know how to follow the Spirit. When we have done our very best, we may still experience disappointments, but we will not be disappointed in ourselves. We can feel certain that the Lord is pleased when we feel the Spirit working through us. Peace, joy, and hope are available to those who measure success properly"“And upon the Handmaids in Those Days Will I Pour Out My Spirit”Julie B. Beck :Relief Society General President

This is my answer.
PS: I found a pair of jeans