I am a diabetic...

...and not a very good one either.

I'm not good at following doctor's orders. Am I struggling alone, knowing what I am supposed to do, but not doing it? Can you relate?

You're not going to find me repeating symptoms, treatments or complications. If you have  pre-diabetes(elevated sugars) or you've already been diagnosed with type I or II diabetes you know to check out www.diabetes.org. Your doc probably shared this site. Last thing you want is a lecture from me, the rebellious patient.

I'm caretaker to everyone, but myself. I don't allow family and friends to ignore doctor’s orders. I  fight tooth and nail making sure they take care of themselves. Me, not so much. I talk it, but don't walk it. I wonder why? Help me figure it out?

1. Denial might be one reason. Does anyone ever want to admit they have something wrong with them that makes it necessary to take medications, eat regular meals and exercise, even if they don’t feel like it?

2. Inconvenience. I inject twice daily and take pills, I have to remember to take both with me if I’m not going to be home at meal times. Of course, that is if I remember to fill the pill box.

3. Constantly my husband asks what I’ve eaten today. It drives me nuts. I'm an adult who eats when I’m hungry, not because its 10 a.m. and time for a morning snack. Why would I eat if I’m not hungry?

4. It hurts! How many times a day have you been told to poke your finger? For me, the doctor wants 4 pokes a day, but will settle for 2. Hmm...I don’t think so. It's not only painful, it's expensive.

 

  Click on Title for Complete Story

Does any of this sound familiar? All are good reasons not to take care of myself, right – WRONG! I’ve given you my excuses and poor ones. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says 'or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own? (20) For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's.'

A familiar passage to most of us, do we abide by it, NO! There are those that follow their doctor’s advice to the T, that is great. Realistically, most of us don’t all the time. Who is guilty besides me of being given a prescription and instead of taking the pills daily, take them every other day or break them in half, that is if you even fill the script? Who has been told to exercise or walk at least 5 days a week? Do you? What about  following nutritional suggestions? You see, all of the above about diabetes could be for any chronic disease since many of the symptoms and treatments are the same.

What I’m talking about goes deeper than my title. When we don’t follow the doc’s orders, we are not being obedient to God. p.a.u.s.e. I had to stop and reread that sentence. Until now, I haven’t thought about my rebellion that way, it's not intentional.

I googled 'how many Americans identify themselves as Christians', the best statistics I could find say 75% to 83% do. Then, I checked  the well known medical journal, www.thelancet.com  which says '68% of Americans are overweight or obese'. If we're obedient why don't we have magazine-like, air brushed looking bodies? Why, because we are born of imperfection. We are the way God made us. Some of us are heavier because we eat too much. Many are larger because of medical reasons. I am thinking of the statement 'do we eat to live or live to eat?'

How do we fix it? How do we live a life of faultlessness that goes  beyond taking pills, exercising and following a healthy diet? The only answer I can see is by grace. The mercy of God, through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus Christ gives what Webster’s dictionary defines as 'unmerited divine assistance given humans for their regeneration or sanctification known as grace.'

Everyone has an opinion about this bountiful mercy of God. Many wonder and feel guilt about repeated sins knowing as a Christian those inequities are forgiven. I’m a wife, mom and grandma, I don’t have answers that highly recognized theologians can’t answer.

Ephesians 2:8 tells us 'for by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not of yourselves; it is a gift from God.'

My thoughts today would be, I don’t believe any of us after getting up and saying our morning prayers think about what we can do to sin today. We do not transgress on purpose. We are human, we struggle daily. God knows that. This is why in 1 John 1:9 he says 'If we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.' We know we do wrong, just as God knows and we ask for forgiveness and He forgives.

For me, right now I'm going to take my computer off my lap, take my shot and eat, just like my doctor wants me to for a healthy lifestyle. I know, later this week, more than likely, I will forget a dose of medicine or overlook a meal time. I'm going to pray I remember that 1 Corinthians 3:16 says 'do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?'

So what are you going to do differently today?