The day I went back to work after maternity leave, I called my OBGYN and told the nurse, “I think I’m going to die”. Until that call, no one realized that I had been dealing with undiagnosed postpartum depression and anxiety. After that, I medically received the support I needed and was able to move to a four-day work week instead of five. I just needed that one day to be only his mom.
After he began to talk, he chose his own name to call me…Mimi. We have since called our special days Mimi + Miles days. Now that he’s in school, our days have been reduced to summer breaks.
I love summers with him.
This year, we’ve spent a lot of time at a local metro park. We have fished, hiked, played in the creek, and gone geocaching. We’ve had so much fun. But my car definitely still has a lingering smell from the water shoes that I forgot were in the back.
We were out there again this week and decided to explore the walking paths. They were beautiful, filled with tall grasses and wildflowers.
Peaceful.
You know what isn’t peaceful?
Snakes…
We came around the curve, and I saw Miles get startled, jump back, and make an “EEeeEehhhh” sound.
Now, I’ve learned not to sound the alarms when he has a reaction like that. I’ve seen him have the same reaction to tiny little bugs. So, I gauged the threat level myself and found it worthy of activating my natural fight-or-flight response.
There, laying in the middle of the path, was a snake…
Thankfully, before I bolted and left my child to fend for himself (he’s 10, he’ll be fine), I realized it wasn’t the actual snake.
It was just the skin it left behind.
It went from terrifying to fascinating. And I had an odd sense of envy.
At the time, I didn’t understand why. It was a feeling I wouldn’t unpack until later, when I felt God impress on me to write this blog.
What would it be like to have the ability to remove a part of yourself that you didn’t like, no longer needed, or God called you to remove? To start fresh?
What Does Your Smile Hide?
You know the one I’m talking about.
The smile you have as you go through your day.
The one that hides your true emotions about the fight you had with your spouse or child the night before.
The fight where your anger got the best of you and you said things that you didn’t really mean.
The smile that hides the resentment of saying “yes” over and over again because it makes everyone around you happy but yourself.
The smile that says, “I’m not afraid of everything,” when the constant knot in your stomach says otherwise.
But does the smile actually fix or hide anything?
Does it help you forget all of the past pain that plagues your thoughts and shapes your decisions?
Does it keep you away from the alcohol or drugs that numb the pain, even if just for a little while?
The smile hides it from those around you.
Your family.
Your friends.
Your coworkers.
Your neighbors.
But you feel the weight of every stronghold…
What Are You Carrying?
What is it for you?
Anger?
Resentment?
Self-doubt?
Pride?
Fear?
Insecurity?
Control?
Addiction?
People-pleasing?
Past pain?
What have you clothed yourself in, layer after layer until you feel restricted?
And what would it feel like to shed all of them?
What is it that prevents you from experiencing the freedom and joy that God desires for you?
2 Corinthians 5:17 says:
“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”
But what does that mean?
Does it mean our sins are forgiven?
Yes.
Jesus died on the cross to erase those from our records.
But does that mean we won’t struggle with the sinful side of ourselves?
I don’t think so.
I do believe that God has the power to change us in an instant. To completely remove something about us that He does not desire for our lives.
My mom told me the story of when my Papaw got saved. He had agreed to go to a revival with my grandma, but before they left the house, he looked at her and said “Don’t expect me to give up my cigarettes”…
He left those cigarettes on the altar where he met God that night. He also found out the next day that he was healed of TB at the same time. So yes, I do believe that God can choose to immediately remove and heal.
But in the big picture, I believe that our spiritual journey requires us choosing to grow.
Words without actions are useless.
I think that is why Jesus said in Luke 9:23:
“Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.”
He didn’t say to take up your cross once.
He didn’t say to have one emotional moment.
He didn’t say to pick it up and never struggle again.
He said we have to choose to pick it up daily.
To grow.
To lay down our old self.
To take off the layers that keep us bound.
And continue to lay them down daily until we stop picking them back up again.
To leave behind what no longer belongs and walk in the freedom He gives.
The Process of Shedding
A snake sheds its skin for multiple reasons:
- They have grown and need more room.
- The old skin has become worn or damaged.
- Shedding helps remove parasites.
- It keeps the skin healthy and functional.
A snake needs to shed its skin to continue growing. Without shedding the old, it becomes restrictive and harmful. But in order for it to shed its skin, a process must happen.
A New Skin Begins to Form
Before anything is visible, a snake forms a new skin beneath the old one.
Their Eyes Become Cloudy
A fluid develops between the old and new skin, making the snake’s eyes look milky blue or cloudy. During this time, its vision is poor, and it often becomes more defensive and withdraws.
The Skin Loosens
Over several days, the fluid is reabsorbed. The old skin is now loose and ready to come off.
The Snake Finds Rough Surfaces
It will rub its nose against rough surfaces such as rocks, logs, or branches to split the old skin near its mouth.
The Snake Crawls Forward
Using rough surfaces as leverage, it slowly works its way out of the old skin. Turning the old skin inside out, the skin peels off in one piece.
New Skin Is Revealed
The skin underneath is vibrant, flexible, and healthy.
Their vision is clear.
And they have room to grow.
Aren’t we the same way?
When we choose to follow Christ, there is an internal change and growth that no one can see right away. But there still may be things about us that cloud our vision and leave us struggling for clarity. With God’s help, the hold they have on us will begin to loosen. But we have to choose to tear the old from ourselves and move forward before we can leave it behind.
When we choose to follow Christ, we might still struggle with emotions, behaviors, or addictions that God does not want for our lives.
But the day you accepted Him, what binds all of those things to you loosened.
Just continue to move forward toward Him and leave your old self behind.
“It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.”
Galatians 5:1
So how do we begin shedding what God never intended for us to carry?
By asking Him.
“God, show me what I have been carrying that You never asked me to hold. Reveal the things I have allowed to define me. Reveal the things that are keeping me from experiencing the freedom that You have already given me.”
Sometimes the hardest part of shedding is admitting that the thing we are holding onto, or the parts of us we want to hide is the very thing keeping us bound.
David prayed in Psalm 139:23-24
“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Just remember that it is a process. Not a comfortable or pretty one. And chances are that you’ll fail a time or two. You may ask God to remove the things that hurt, the things that frustrate you, and the things you wish you could shed instantly. And sometimes He does. But other times, He walks with us through the process of surrender and growth, reminding us that His grace is enough.
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9
What is it that you need to shed?
Until the next bit of chaos
❤ Kel
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Kel Unscripted 
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