Puffer Fish Syndrome

I was at brunch with my Pastor one day and our conversation shifted to an issue I dealt with for well over half of my life. I see it frequently among many people both young and old. At the time, with only basic knowledge of the fish, I referred to it as Puffer Fish Syndrome. Immediately I began to look more into the anatomy and characteristics of the puffer fish and let’s just say my mind is still blown, even as I type! Just as with the many different species of puffer fish, this syndrome can look different from person to person. But let’s take a moment and consider a few things about the poisonous species of this fish.

According to the National Geographic website, puffer fish typically have long, tapered bodies with bulbous heads. Some species can grow anywhere from one inch to two feet in length. Some wear wild markings and colors to advertise their toxicity, while others have more muted or cryptic coloring to blend in with their environment. I’m sure if you sit back and think for a moment you can think of a few people with wild and sometimes toxic personality traits. You know, the ones who tend to be very loud and boisterous or almost seem to brag and boast about their blunt, tactless, “say what I want when I want because I’m just real and don’t care” attitudes? Perhaps you have a friend who was like me and would water herself down in an effort to blend in and not draw attention to the delicacy that is her true self. Do you ever find yourself engaging in similar behaviors?

National Geographic also says that many biologists believe puffer fish, also known as blow fish, developed their famous “inflatability” because their slow, somewhat clumsy swimming style makes them vulnerable to predators. In lieu of escape, puffer fish use their highly elastic stomachs and the ability to quickly ingest huge amounts of water and air to turn themselves into a virtually inedible ball several times their normal size. Some species also have spikes on their skin to make them even less palatable. Now when I read that, a few things jumped out at me.

From a biological perspective, we understand that development means to cause to go through the process of natural evolution from a previous lower state. In other words, development takes place when a necessary resource or ability is absent from the original makeup. Their slow, clumsy swimming style is the perceived flaw within their makeup that makes them susceptible to predators. It is the thing over which they had no control. They were made this way and it is a hindrance. Their “inflatability” is a defense mechanism developed for the purpose of survival. As I continued to read, I learned that almost all puffer fish contain a substance called tetrodotoxin. This substance makes them foul tasting and often lethal to other fish. To humans, however, tetrodotoxin is deadly and up to 1,200 times more poisonous than cyanide. There is enough toxin in one puffer fish to kill 30 adult humans, and there is no known antidote.

I find it interesting that the toxin these fish carry within them is deadly to those they can also be used to nourish. The thing that was truly mind blowing to me is that the meat of some puffer fish is considered a delicacy. It is extremely expensive and can only be prepared in controlled environments by licensed and rigorously trained chefs who fully understand their anatomy. These chefs are able to cut and slice at the right angles, and with the right knives to avoid the death of their customers. They also know the temperature at which this fish should be processed in, I mean prepared in to bring out its delectable flavor. I’m sure by now you see where I am going with this.

Due to their toxicity, those with puffer fish syndrome are sometimes less than tolerable to those within their circles of influence. On the other hand, some of their defense mechanisms have made them deadly to the very people and environments they were intended to speak and bring life to. Think about this… researchers say that tetrodotoxin in puffer fish came from ingesting other animals infested with the tetrodotoxin-laden bacteria, to which they developed an insensitivity over time. This toxin is stored within various organs, specifically the liver, ovaries, eyes, and skin. Read that last sentence again! This toxin is stored in the organs responsible for filtering and detoxifying, reproduction, vision, and covering/protection. What happens when your ability to properly filter is faulty? If you reproduce after your own kind, what generational curses will you see active in the lives of your offspring? How can you see clearly through faulty, contaminated lenses? Now imagine the potential damage caused if you reached that place within God’s timing where He intended for you to flourish in your purpose but you refused to allow the toxicity developed as a result of ingesting the happenings of life to be processed out of you. How many others would you infect? More importantly, how many people are stuck waiting on the processed version of you to emerge?

The goal is not to build an insensitivity to what you’ve been inflicted with. The goal is not to neglect to address your toxic behaviors and chalk it up to being the real, raw version of you. The goal is not to withdraw and isolate yourself and call it introversion. No, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The truth of the matter is that you cannot fully walk in purpose with this syndrome still active within essence of who you are. Sure, you can be somewhat effective. But 1 Corinthians 2 tells us that “…no eye has seen, no ear has heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” That said, you my dear, have the capacity to have impact far beyond the limits of your own imagination. Ask me how I know!

Typically, when we think of a syndrome, we think of the more common ones for which there is no known cure. The group of symptoms that we see are an indication of the underlying genetic issue. Naturally, it is not currently possible to extract the genetic mutations that cause said symptoms. Spiritually speaking, however, it is absolutely possible to extract and uproot the underlying issues attached to the symptoms we display. 2 Corinthians 2 declares that “if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold ALL things are BECOME new.” That said, when we place ourselves in the hands of the one who is skilled enough to cut and slice away the deadly parts of our existence without causing harm to the true essence of who we are… the one who knows what it takes to properly process us to allow our true self to emerge we too can become new.

There came a point in my journey to becoming Her (the healed, whole woman God designed me to be) where I began to realize that I was very much like the Puffer fish. My personality wasn’t loud or obnoxious, neither would I be found at the center of attention in any scenario. But for years I would hide in the shadows of those around me. You honestly had to make me extremely upset in order to see the boldness of who I truly was. I sought to blend in with the crowd so as not to draw attention to the quiet, weak, wounded, and fragile woman I had become. I say became because God did not create me to be weak or fragile. I developed those traits due to the things you read about in previous posts. I encourage you to do as I did and ask yourself, what defense mechanisms have I developed in an effort to protect myself from perceived danger? What can I easily identify as the underlying causes of the development of these mechanisms? Take a moment to think about that. It is said that it takes 21 days of intentional consistency to develop a new habit. So, I want to challenge you to commit the next 21 days to submitting these things to God and allowing Him to begin or continue to process you. You may be thinking: “What about the old habits?”. Well, leave that to God. As you begin to implement new habits, I am proof that God will do His part and heal those areas where the old habits originate. Am I suggesting that in 21 days you will be healed and whole? No. Your season of processing may take days, weeks, months, or even years. BUT, the most important take away is that you can wake up on day 22 being confident in the fact that He who began a good work in you is faithful to complete it until the day of His return! In that, you can rejoice! So, will you commit to that in order to emerge as Her?

Comment below or email me directly at info@atbinc.co if you will join with many others who have already made this commitment and experienced this freedom!