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๏ฟผ ๐Ÿ”Š๐Ÿฆ ๐“๐‡๐„ ๐‹๐ˆ๐Ž๐ ๐“๐‡๐Ž๐”๐†๐‡๐“ ๐’๐‡๐„ ๐–๐€๐’ ๐€ ๐’๐‡๐„๐„๐ ๐Ÿ‘ -๐”๐๐“๐ˆ๐‹ ๐†๐Ž๐ƒ ๐’๐‡๐Ž๐–๐„๐ƒ ๐‡๐„๐‘ ๐“๐‡๐„ ๐Œ๐ˆ๐‘๐‘๐Ž๐‘ ๐Ÿชž โœด๏ธREMEMBER: You saw it here first! Hereโ€™s a sneak ๐Ÿ‘€ into Chapter 1!

From Sheep to Lion โ€“ A Journey Back to Identity

โœจ๐Ÿ•Š๏ธ M๐ฒ ๐“e๐ฌt๐ขm๐จn๐ฒ ๐ขs M๐ฒ ๐Œi๐งi๐ฌt๐ซy


๐–๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐ก๐š๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ž๐ง๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐ž๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฉ๐ž๐จ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ž ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ž๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐›๐ž๐œ๐จ๐ฆ๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐ฏ๐ž๐ซ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ง๐ž๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐จ ๐›๐ž๐ญ๐ซ๐š๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐จ๐ฎ? ๐–๐ก๐ž๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐œ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐š๐ญ ๐จ๐ง๐œ๐ž ๐œ๐ก๐ž๐ž๐ซ๐ž๐ ๐ง๐จ๐ฐ ๐œ๐š๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐จ๐ง๐ž๐ฌ?


People I once called family and friends suddenly shape-shifted wearing faces I no longer recognized. They became mockers and naysayersโ€”whispering, slandering, casting evil eyes from front-row seats, peering at me. I walked through the fire. The heat was turned up, and I was refined in the flames. The room shifted, and suddenly it was as if I was drowning in deep waters. Water flowed over my head. I was completely overwhelmed. But even in the fire, God was refining me. Even in the deep waters, He reached out His hand to me; He rescued me, and I walked with Him on the water. He held me above the waves.


I received private messages of sympathy and understanding, but publicly, suddenly no one knew me. People said they saw what was happening to me, but they didnโ€™t intervene, say, or do anything to help me. They didnโ€™t stand by me when stones were being cast because staying silent kept them in the in-crowd; they feared being ostracized or cast out themselves.


Perhaps their comfort was much better on the other side of the battle, it was easier to conform than to rise. But my light and my spiritual gifts revealed the darkness that was hiding in the roomโ€”and that light proved that everything wasnโ€™t exactly as it appeared to be. My spirit holds light, boldness, and truth.


๐Ÿ‘ฟ T๐กe L๐ขe๐ฌ ๐“h๐št T๐ซi๐žd T๐จ ๐’h๐šp๐ž ๐Œe


During those formative yearsโ€” when my sense of self was taking shape I was discouraged and blocked from thinking anything positive about myself by words laced with curses, words that clipped my wings and kept me from soaring.


I couldnโ€™t see myself, and the rare moments when I caught a glimpse, it felt more like imposter syndrome instead. I lived under the shadow of a lieโ€”that God would snatch away every blessing if I dared to shine, although He created me to be a light, a beacon of hope in a dark world. I was taught to fear elevation, to believe He would take away what He gaveโ€”but now I know His gifts are irrevocable, and His favor is intentional.


โš ๏ธ W๐กy T๐กi๐ฌ ๐‹i๐ž ๐–a๐ฌ ๐’o H๐šr๐ฆf๐ฎl


That belief was a curse because it distorted Godโ€™s character and poisoned my identity. It made me fear the very gifts He gave me. Instead of embracing His blessings, I shrank back, terrified that shining would cost me everything.


๐ŸšฉIt distorted Godโ€™s nature: I saw Him as punitive, ready to snatch away blessings if I dared to rise. But Scripture says, โ€œEvery good and perfect gift is from aboveโ€ (James 1:17), and His gifts are irrevocable (Romans 11:29).

๐ŸšฉIt created fear of growth: I avoided opportunities, dimmed my light, and sabotaged my own potential because I thought success would trigger loss.

๐ŸšฉIt bred shame and false humility: I confused confidence with pride and felt guilty for using my giftsโ€”when in truth, I was created to glorify Him through them.

๐ŸšฉIt blocked purpose: God called me to be a light (Matthew 5:14), but fear made me hide that light under a basket.

๐ŸšฉIt damaged intimacy with God: Fear-based theology made me avoid Him, expecting punishment instead of love. Yet His Word says, โ€œPerfect love casts out fearโ€ (1 John 4:18).


๐Ÿ”ฅ ๐“๐ซ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐‘๐ž๐ฉ๐ฅ๐š๐œ๐ž ๐ญ๐ก๐ž ๐‹๐ข๐ž:

God does not give gifts to take them away when you shine. He gives gifts to glorify Him and bless others. Your light is not a threatโ€”itโ€™s a reflection of His glory.


What I held was true beauty, inside and out, so Iโ€™ve been toldโ€”the kind found in oneโ€™s character, virtuosity, and relationship with God. The lessons that shaped me taught me early in life to fear God instead of drawing closer to Him, but He still called me.


My presence revealed the truth. People constantly felt the need to try to humble me, to bring me down from the pedestal they perceived I was onโ€”to their level, a level they could handle me much better on. When in reality, my world at the time was too dark and I was too broken to ever see that I was meant for so much more. I didnโ€™t recognize my power, my authority, the power in my voice, or the weight of my calling.


โš–๏ธ T๐กe W๐ži๐ h๐ญ ๐จf S๐กr๐ขn๐คi๐งg


For DECADES, I dimmed my light to fit in. I shrank myself, hoping to be accepted. And part of my spirit died because it wasnโ€™t allowed to grow and bloom. I poured out love, but few ever poured back.


I was surrounded by vampires who feasted on my bloodโ€”takers who could never replenish back. They didnโ€™t love meโ€”they loved what I carried. I gave freely, but when I needed replenishment, no one was there. People were too busy or couldnโ€™t handle my intensity.


I was crushed when relationships faded, but now I see differently: the leeches burned away because I couldnโ€™t carry them and still spread my wings to fly, and I had to learn how to let them go.


Even in my high school years, the signs were there. I remember asking younger students why they followed me. Their answer shocked me: โ€œWhatever you donโ€™t choose will be leftovers for us.โ€ They were talking about boys ๐Ÿ˜Šโ€”but in truth, they were speaking about the power of my anointing, even if none of us realized it then.


What is dark resists me. People pull on the light I carry. And for years, I gave it without guarding my heartโ€”until it began to damage and deplete me.


๐Ÿฆ๐Ÿชž T๐กe L๐ขo๐ง ๐–h๐จ ๐e๐ฅi๐žv๐žd S๐กe W๐šs a S๐กe๐žp


Like the lion who thought he was a sheep, I lived years forgetting who I was.


โ€œOne day, a farmer found a lion cub in the forest and brought it home. Not knowing what else to do, he placed the cub among his sheep. The cub grew up eating what the sheep ate, playing where the sheep played, and living as if it were one of them.


One day, a great lion emerged from the jungle. Its roar sent the sheep scattering in fearโ€”and the little lion ran too. The big lion approached and asked, โ€œWhy are you hiding?โ€


โ€œYouโ€™ll eat me,โ€ the little lion replied.


โ€œIโ€™m not going to eat you,โ€ said the big lion. โ€œDo you know who you are? Youโ€™re not a sheep. Youโ€™re a lion.โ€


The little lion couldnโ€™t believe it, so the big lion led him to a lake. โ€œLook at your reflection,โ€ he said. โ€œSee who you really are.โ€


And when the little lion looked, he saw the truth: โ€œI am like youโ€”not like them.โ€


The big lion smiled. โ€œI didnโ€™t make you a lion. Youโ€™ve always been one. I just showed you who you already were.โ€


๐Ÿฆโ€๐Ÿ”ฅ๐Ÿ”ฅ T๐กe A๐ฐa๐คe๐งi๐งg


That story pierced my heart. Itโ€™s about identityโ€”about remembering who we are in Christ. So many of us suffer from spiritual amnesia. We forget who God is, who we are, and who we are in Him.


For too long, I believed the lie that I was too muchโ€”too bold, too flashy, too intense. I was told to withhold my testimony; coerced into dimming my light.


โœ๏ธB๐ฎt M๐ฒ ๐“e๐ฌt๐ขm๐จn๐ฒ ๐ขs M๐ฒ ๐Œi๐งi๐ฌt๐ซy


I am done hiding. My roar is not for destructionโ€”itโ€™s for declaration. I am who God says I am. And so are you. If youโ€™ve been shrinking, apologizing for your light, hear this: You are a lion. You were never meant to blend in with the sheep. Rise. Roar. Walk in victory.


God held my hand and walked with me on the water they hoped Iโ€™d drown in. He held my head above the water when I was overwhelmed. Iโ€™m walking in victory because His power is within me. ๐ŸŽถNo giant can defeat me when God holds my hand. No fire can burn me. No battle can turn me. No mountain can stop me because God holds my hand. Iโ€™m walking in victory because Godโ€™s power is within me.๐ŸŽถ


๐Ÿ”ฅ T๐กi๐ฌ ๐ขs Y๐จu๐ซ ๐‘o๐šr. ๐“h๐ขs i๐ฌ ๐˜o๐ฎr I๐ƒE๐T๐ˆT๐˜. T๐กi๐ฌ ๐ขs Y๐จu๐ซ ๐Œi๐งi๐ฌt๐ซy


๐ŸŽฏ S๐œr๐ขp๐ญu๐ซe-B๐šs๐žd A๐Ÿf๐ขr๐ฆa๐ญi๐จn๐ฌ: D๐žc๐ฅa๐ซe W๐กo Y๐จu A๐ซe i๐ง ๐‚h๐ซi๐ฌt


Speak these truths over yourself daily:


๐Ÿ‘‰๐ŸฝI am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Psalm 139:14

๐Ÿ‘‰๐ŸฝI am chosen and set apart.

1 Peter 2:9

๐Ÿ‘‰๐ŸฝI am more than a conqueror.

Romans 8:37

๐Ÿ‘‰๐ŸฝI am strong and courageous.

Joshua 1:9

๐Ÿ‘‰๐ŸฝI am a new creation.

2 Corinthians 5:17

๐Ÿ‘‰๐ŸฝI am victorious.

1 Corinthians 15:57


๐Ÿ“ R๐žf๐ฅe๐œt๐ขo๐ง ๐u๐žs๐ญi๐จn๐ฌ ๐Ÿo๐ซ ๐˜o๐ฎr J๐จu๐ซn๐žy

Take time to journal and pray through these:


๐ŸŽญWhat masks have others worn in your life that caused you pain or confusion?


๐Ÿ’กHave you ever dimmed your light to fit in? What would it look like to shine fully without apology?


๐ŸคฅWhat lies about yourself have you believed? Which truths from Godโ€™s Word will you replace them with today?


๐ŸฆWhen was the last time you felt like the lion among sheep? How did that moment reveal your calling?


โ“What does โ€œroaringโ€ look like for you in this season?


๐Ÿ›ก๏ธโค๏ธHow can you guard your heart while still giving generously of your gifts?

๐Ÿ™๐Ÿฝ C๐ฅo๐ฌi๐งg P๐ซa๐ฒe๐ซ: R๐จa๐ซ ๐ขn Y๐จu๐ซ ๐ˆd๐žn๐ญi๐ญy


Father God,

Thank You for reminding me who I am in You. Thank You for calling me out of fear and into faith, out of hiding and into boldness. Today, I renounce every lie that told me I was too much or not enough. I break agreement with every curse that clipped my wings and kept me from soaring.


Lord, I declare that Your gifts are irrevocable and Your favor is intentional. You created me to be a light, and I will no longer hide that light under a basket. Help me to walk in confidence, not prideโ€”rooted in Your truth and clothed in Your grace.


Strengthen me to roar with purpose, to speak boldly, and to live fully in the identity You gave me. Let my testimony be my ministry, and let my life reflect Your glory.


In Jesusโ€™ name, Amen.



ยฉ๏ธ2026 Coco Shaunelle. All rights reserved.

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