CARLA BIANCA RAVANES-HIGHAM
We have a rather large office aquarium and about a month ago, we were given a new crab for it. The crab was a welcome addition to our big fish family so imagine our concern when he wouldn’t eat and just stay in one corner for weeks.
We all thought he was dead or on the brink of dying. He managed to stay alive long enough for the expert fish tank guy to check him out and what he discovered was interesting.
It turns out, the crab was not dying but instead was in the process of molting. Molting in animals is defined as, “shed old feathers, hair, or skin, or an old shell, to make way for a new growth.” Everyone in the office breathed in a sigh of relief and suddenly, the little story turned into a lesson.
It has been said before that growth always requires a bigger version of who we are. There is nothing in life that is stagnant and that includes who we are. Every day, whether we notice it or not, we are changing. It starts with the little preferences but before we know it, we become an entirely different person. We shed and we grow.
However, as in anything, growth is never easy while you are in it. Just like Mr. Crab. Watching him molt felt like watching him die. We were pretty sure that he was on his way out. But he wasn’t dying, he was simply letting go of an old part of his life to make way for a new season.
Animals molt because this is the only way for them to grow. In the same way that sometimes, as human beings, we shed and let go to move forward.
If there’s anything 2017 may have taught all of us, it’s this: growth sometimes feels like the end rather than the beginning.
Many times in the Bible, God has promised us that “He will never leave us nor forsake us” and that “He is making all things work together for the good.” And yet, in the middle of our own personal crisis, we feel left behind and alone. We are left with more questions to our questions and we never seem to get out of the rut. And yet, what we believe of God – that He is good, steady, and unfaithful keeps us going.
If that is you today, I hope you know that you are not stuck. What feels like a year filled with trials and tribulations actually serves a greater purpose. There is more to your pain than you know and maybe just like my little crab friend, you are merely growing into a new season.
What hurts today is what you need to fuel you to face the tomorrow you have always prayed for. Simply keep the faith, a new season is waiting.
Keep growing, you are merely molting.
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