Unmasked and Unashamed

Thank you, God, for this assignment.

Today, I sat and listened as a woman boldly took her mask off and shared her truth. As she spoke, I found myself transported—not just into her story, but into a chapter of my own life I didn’t realize still needed healing. She wasn’t just speaking to us… she was speaking through me, directly to the younger version of myself who was still tucked away, carrying pieces of shame and misunderstanding.

She opened up about the expectations placed on her by her family and her church upbringing—how rigid and consuming it all felt. And when she finally got a taste of freedom, she ran toward it full speed. Her story mirrored the silent experiences of so many of us who grew up under the weight of religion without fully understanding grace. Like her, I remember what it felt like to mistake perfection for righteousness, and success for healing.

But the most powerful part of her testimony wasn’t about how she fell—it was how she got back up. She spoke about shame and how it once fueled her, but also how God’s grace eventually freed her. And in that moment, I felt confirmation. A deep reminder that we are not alone in our struggles, and we don’t have to keep silent about our stories.

So often, when we're in it, it feels like we’re the only ones going through the storm. But the truth is—we’re all walking through something. And sometimes, all it takes is one brave voice to say, “This is what I’ve been through,” to set someone else free.

There is nothing I love more than hearing about how God continues to work through brokenness. His grace is not just a quiet whisper—it’s a loud declaration that we are still here, still growing, still loved.

We don’t have to carry shame in silence. We are free to share, free to heal, and free to walk boldly in our stories.

Shutanda