learning to love sushi and hate octopus

So when I around 7-8 years old, we discovered that I was allergic to fish. My family was never entirely sure exactly what kinds of fish I was allergic to, suffice to say we knew that in general, it ran the gamut from shrimp to crab to lobster, halibut, flounder, mahi-mahi, etc. Some more severe than others. Every type I tried, with the exception of canned tuna, I had some form of reaction to. Nothing life-threatening, I would just throw up or get severe stomach cramps somewhere between 3 to 5 hours later. Not pleasant, but it was what it was...

And every few years, I would try it again, just to see if the allergy was still present. And it always was. So I just wouldn't eat fish regularly... for the last 18 years.

And then [this is the part that is still slightly bizarre], near the end of November, I was wrestling through some pretty deep issues with God, while doing a quiet time, where I felt like he was really asking me to step out in faith and not fear... and still in prayer, near the end of processing through those things, I had a very strange image in my mind of a bright blue fish swimming along in really beautiful water, and I felt like God was saying to me,

"I want you to eat fish again, free from effect. This is my hand. No more fear."

Bizarre. Yes, I am aware. This is an allergy that I've had for 18 years... and what a weird thing to hear from God? Bizarre, yes. Potentially just my mind playing tricks on me? But, I made the leap of faith and gave it another shot. Albeit, very skeptically from the get-go, but still trying.

And, two months later, I am happy to report, I am fish allergy free. I am discovering fish that I never knew existed. I am trying things that I never thought I'd like, and loving it! And I have definitely found some that I'm not super fond of. Octopus, no matter what they tell you, not so tasty, definitely really chewy.

Maybe I just outgrew the allergy. Maybe New England fish don't contain the allergen that I had reactions to earlier. Maybe this is a fluke and it will end sometime soon. Or maybe this is actually a gift from God. Either way, the lesson still remained behind:

If the Lord calls you to step out in faith, step out in faith without fear.

Thankfully God has been just as faithful in the other areas where he asked me to step out in faith as he has been in this one... such is his character. Where he asks us to step out, he always meets us.