Omnipod and God

I love finding God in the small and simple things in life. Things that most people would just overlook, that many times I overlook. I’m Type 1 Diabetic. (If you’ve never heard of that or don’t know much about it you might want to do a quick google search to best understand this.) I’ve had diabetes for 3.5 years. Up until a few weeks ago I had been giving myself insulin shots every time I ate or had a high blood sugar. I liked it that way. There were options to get an insulin pump, but I really didn’t want it. For two main reasons. 1. I didn’t want something stuck to me. 2. I didn’t want to have something that people could see 24/7 and that would “label” me a diabetic. I dislike people saying “I’m sorry you have diabetes.” It’s just weird for me. Yeah its a disease and It’s constant work, its not predictable, and sometimes it gets me down. But its not the end of the world, its not what defines me. Thankfully my family had had experience with diabetes when I was diagnosed at age 19, my older sister has had it since she was 2. So when i was in the hospital sure people were “sorry” for me but my family made it as fun and uplifting as possible, and I am forever grateful for that. It wasn’t “lets sit and sob” it was “okay lets take control of this disease, God is with us and we can make the best of it”.

That’s how I’ve always seen my diabetes; as a challenge and a positive motivator. I’m not saying its always rainbows and butterflies. I do still have to deal with the disease, but for the most part I have a positive outlook on it. Well 3.5 years of using shots and I was content with that until a doctor’s appointment in January where I got my blood sugars back and they weren’t what I wanted them to be, they weren’t what they should be. Constant high or low blood sugars can cause permanent damage on organs and obviously that's not good. I broke down crying because I thought I was doing good. I thought I was managing my diabetes well, maybe not as well as I could have but definitely better than this. Well, thankfully my lovely mother calmed me down and we talked to my doctor about how a pump could make my blood sugars better. We decided on the omnipod because that is the only pump without a tube, and I did not want a tube. It simply sticks on you for three days, acts as your pancreas, and you replace it. Sure you have to do some of the work, life’s not that easy, but it helps.

Two weeks into using the omnipod I’ve been thanking God for it everyday. It has made such an impact on me, it has allowed me to not feel like a pin cushion, poking myself multiple times a day and figuring out where on my body isn’t an overused site. I went from poking myself 4-6 times a day to only once in three days! That's a big difference! But the omnipod has also allowed me to see God in a new light, to understand a little bit better how He works and why.

You see I thought I could do diabetes all on my own, without any help from a pump. Even though it is engineered to help; to do the math and guide you every time you check yourself, eat, or need a correction. I liked giving myself shots, because people didn’t know I was diabetic unless they ate with me and even then sometimes people missed it.

However, before I got the pump I hadn’t realized what I was missing out on. I was focusing on small matters, I didn't look past having something stuck on me to see the larger change it would have on my life. I thought I was doing what was best, but really there was something that made diabetes less of a burden and I had wanted nothing to do with it.

No matter if I used a pump or shots, if people saw that I was managing my disease or not; I am still diabetic and I will be until I leave this earth.

When I was first diagnosed I wasn’t even thinking about getting a pump. A few months before that I would never have believed I would get diabetes. Yet before I needed it, there were engineers, doctors, and scientists out there who were taking steps to help diabetics; to sacrifice time, money, possibly status to work on a machine that would have life altering impacts for those with diabetes. They probably could have worked for another company and made a lot more money. But they didn’t they chose to work on something that would benefit others, not themselves.

Just like my attitude towards diabetes, Christians often think we are fine on our own. We can do whatever we want even though God has given us tools that will guide us during every circumstance of our life. We can act like we belong to the world and only make it known that we are Christians when it is convenient for us.

However, when you embrace God you realize what you have been missing. We were focusing on ourselves and didn't see the larger change God would have in our lives. We realize that He knows what is best and He helps lessen the burden of this awful world.

But no matter if I live a life pleasing to God or I live like the world wants, I am still a sinner and I always will be.

Just like those engineers, scientists, and doctors, there was someone looking out for all sinners before we thought we would need it, before we were even conceived. Jesus Christ came to earth because He was taking steps to save sinners. He sacrificed his time, his earthly career, his status to live a sinless life and sacrifice himself because it would have life saving eternal impacts for sinners. He could have stayed as an exalted God, He certainly did not have to become human, but he did! He didn’t come to the world to benefit himself, but to save us!

I’m thankful for the engineers, scientists, and doctors who are constantly trying to make life as a diabetic easier. But I’m most thankful for a God who loved me so much that He sacrificed his own life for me. I do not deserve such love, I do not deserve such mercy, but the God of the universe has washed me clean by his own death and resurrection. He has saved me from eternal death and welcomed me into a family that will live in eternal life and happiness and perfection together. He did it for you too!

1 Peter 1:18-19

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.