A personal reflection on walnuts, hives, and spiritual growth

A few days ago, I ate some walnuts and ended up covered in hives and rashes.

I’m talking full-blown reaction – itching, swelling, my skin felt like it was on fire from the inside out. The strange thing? I’ve eaten walnuts many times in the past. No issues. No allergies. So, what changed?

I got some home remedies. something to cool down the reaction. Thankfully, they helped. But as the itching settled, a deeper message started rising to the surface.

I did some reading and came across something called adult-onset food allergy. Apparently, your body can develop a new sensitivity over time, even to things it once tolerated just fine. And sometimes, you don’t react until your body crosses a threshold: the point where it just can’t take it anymore.

And that right there was the lesson.

The Threshold Is Real
This wasn’t just about walnuts anymore. It became a picture of life – especially spiritual life.

How many of us are still trying to “digest” things we’ve outgrown? Still holding on to relationships, mindsets, habits, or routines that used to be fine but now leave us restless, irritated, or even drained?

We say things like:

• “But it’s always been this way.”
• “I used to enjoy this.”
• “It never bothered me before.”

Exactly. But maybe that’s because you weren’t who you are now.

Growth changes your thresholds. What you once tolerated easily now starts to bother you. Your spirit becomes more alert. Your soul more selective. Not because you’re becoming overly sensitive—but because you’re becoming more aligned.

Not Everything That Was Once Good Still Belongs

Some things were right for a previous season. But when God begins to move you forward, He sometimes allows discomfort to signal that the old thing no longer fits. What used to nourish you may now trigger you. What used to be a blessing may now feel like a burden.

That’s not a bad thing. It’s a sign of progress.

We love to celebrate growth by what we gain. But sometimes growth is revealed in what we start to reject. What we no longer want near us. What we no longer feel comfortable “eating.”

And that can be hard—because it’s easy to stay loyal to what once felt safe. But if your system is reacting, it’s worth paying attention. Whether it’s content you consume, conversations you entertain, or connections you keep, if it now feels off, there’s a reason.

Discernment Is a Gift

This experience reminded me not to downplay sensitivity. Spiritually speaking, a lot of what we call “irritation” is actually the gift of discernment kicking in. That quiet signal that says, “This doesn’t serve you anymore.”

So now, I’m paying more attention:

• To what I take in.
• To what I keep holding onto just because it’s familiar.
• To what my system (and my spirit) might be reacting to, even if I don’t fully understand why yet.

Because the truth is: just because it used to be okay doesn’t mean it still is.

And that’s okay.

If you’re noticing reactions – spiritually, emotionally, or even physically, maybe it’s not just random. Maybe you’re hitting your threshold. Maybe God is inviting you to adjust your intake. To let go of what no longer fits. To embrace the sensitivity that comes with growth.

I’ll be more cautious with walnuts now. But I’ll also be more intentional with everything else I “consume.”

Not everything is meant to stay on the menu.