I think thats awesome. Jesus and I are tight. God wouldn't let you have anything you couldn't handle. Being diabetic has definetly brought me closer to God, without a shadow of a doubt.
Sarah,
I love the way you wrote that. Sometimes I wonder what the finished me will look like. Till then I'll try to keep the most positive outlook and do the best I a can with what I am given.
I have always been a christian. When i was diagnosed it only brought me closer to God. God helps me get through the good times and the bad times and i'm thankful for that. when the world hates you he will love you. about a year ago my mom was killed in a drunk driving accident and I was angry at God for that but it happened for a reason. Now I help other kids who have lost a parent and I talk at driving classes about drunk driving. I think I was diagnosed with diabetes for a reason. I don't think god did it just to piss me off.
It looks like you've been through a tremendous amount. I'm glad that you can put things into perspective still. It's expecially great to see you reaching out and helping other people, too. From what I just read, you are a good example to a lot of others out there.
thank you very much. I try to do my best.
The thing about religion is that it truly depends upon ones own development as to whether or not they will believe in God or god or in a higher power. People say yes people say no. Obviously for me I say yes and I know it deep down in my heart that what I believe is right. There are those that say no and know that deep down in their heart that they are right. That does not bother me, I live how I live because I choose to live it. I will never judge someone else based upon whether they believe or not. I can only stand my ground based upon what I was raised to believe in and where my own path in life has taken me. If because of my own life experiences I can bring others closer to the God that I believe in that is awesome. Because scripture does tell us to "stir into flame the gift of God". So that is what I will try to do. I know that not everyone believes what I do, but at the same time I will try to counter arguments with my own beliefs, own teachings, and do what I can to help those that need it.
What I will not do is take the time to look at the beliefs and rip them apart for what they believe in. I will not take someone elses belief and mock them, call them names, tell them that God exists in their minds. There are better ways to prove a point and constant mockery of someone else and what they believe is not a good thing. That idea does not come from the Bible, that comes from my mom, and I am pretty sure that she exists.
We are all entitled to our own opinions and idea, I think that this is because of the free will we are given by God to make our own choices. Others think that the idea of free will is just an excuse that was made up to comfort those when something bad happens to good people. They could be right, the entire idea of a higher being could be a complete load of dung. I have to respect the differing opinions and belief. However when I look at the human person, when I look at the universe, heck when I look at what we all started out as when we were just embryos, I can't help but think something caused this to happen. I am one person, this is what I think. I will defend what I believe but I will never try to prove what you think is wrong. One day when I die I hope to know that I chose the right thing and I will be with God in heaven through all the problems I have faced in life. To know that my loving Father is there to welcome me in His arms when I die is enough for me now.
We can get a message across better by example than by words alone, right?
SCIENCE! :) Which alot of people, not ALL people, are against! What are we living in?? The Salem Witch trials era or something? :)
[quote user="Brian"]
What I will not do is take the time to look at the beliefs and rip them apart for what they believe in. I will not take someone elses belief and mock them, call them names, tell them that God exists in their minds. There are better ways to prove a point and constant mockery of someone else and what they believe is not a good thing. That idea does not come from the Bible, that comes from my mom, and I am pretty sure that she exists.
[/quote]
See I have nothing agianst belief, and I can respect beliefs. But the one thing I disagree with your statement is ripping apart for what they believe in. I find that it is absolutly nessacary to rip the beliefs of people who take the bible or any other holy book and take it for proof. Why? Because that creates a lot of problems for a lot of innocent people(children).
Take Jehovahs witnesses for example. They believe the blood is sacred, so they won't accept most surgerys, blood transfusions and certain other procedures in the medical field that saves lives. Ok as adults they can do whatever, but when they prevent their children from getting a nessacary blood transfusion, that would def save their life I think its nessacary to go "hey wait" and tear down that belief that blood is sacred. You don't think that happens? Where here http://whatstheharm.net/jehovahswitnesses.html
Their children haven't reached an age that they can choose what they believe in, they HAVE to follow their parents religion. Forcing a kid to die because their parents don't believe in a life saving procedure is just evil, gross and digusting.
Another one is people who believe in Christian science. Which is Prayer over medical procedures. http://whatstheharm.net/christianscience.html . Frankly if the adults want to not accept a life saving procedure and turn to prayer, let them but I will not stand by and let their children suffer the same fate! That is just evil and digusting. It stupid among other words.
Now most people are logical, most people who have a belief will do the right thing but the people like I just mention above, they arn't doing the right thing. They are doing something inately stupid. Now another important one is abortion. Just because your religion some how says that all life is precious doesn't mean that I believe in it, and therefore you shouldn't have the ability to prevent me from having one(if I was a woman of course lol). Same with same-sex marriage. Just because you live behind times in society, doesn't mean other people do and shouldnt prevent two people of the same sex to get married.
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes couple years ago. I am jewish so I celebrate Hanukkah. Even though I have diabetes, I always think positive no matter what. Don't let the disease slow you down, make the best of what you love to do.
The Bible says that "all good things come from God" Is diabetes good? not so much. Is it a consequence of sin? yes. Not to say your personal sin necessarily as if it were a "punishment", but sin nature of humans...there is sin in this world - it affects everyone. The Bible talks about consequences a lot. So it's not whether you have to deal with this consequence or that one. The issue or question, if you will, is what are you going to do about/with it? God is still God. He's not too busy to hear your cry (He can heal the child and help you team win the game at the same time), but are you close enough (i.e. do you have a relationship close enough with God-do you know Him) to hear Him answer. He is just. and are you going to praise Him anyway, no matter what your circumstance. He told us that if we need wisdom, we can ask for it -according to His will - and He'll give it to us. It's our choice to seek, ask, and receive! What are you willing to do to receive the answer? Paul is right, it's about faith.
Mark 11 22"Have[f] faith in God," Jesus answered. 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."[g]
Opinions are like elbows. and everyone now knows you have at least two of them. PS there is an eternity of actual evidence to counter your feelings.
My response was to Mr. Oden not my wife.
I have always been Methodist, b4 nd after my dx
This is very interesting Carrie, I think your definitely right, being diagnosed with diabetes does seem to trigger activity in that part of the brain (atheism and theism both use the same areas of the brain). I guess I was also the latter and turned towards science, pretty voraciously too. I guess when something like that happens we either think we need some extra power to get us through it OR we dismiss it for not protecting us. Cool observation!
Well put, Dylan. I agree 100%. I posted this on another forum earlier but I wanted to post it here to show you just how similarly my feelings were when I was diagnosed.
"I was raised believing in the Christian God, that everything was either from God or from the Devil. When I was diagnosed, it threw me right on my back. I was a punk teenager of 19 and held this bad-boy type image that disgusts me now, looking back on it. Basically, I was a bit of a delinquent. My diagnosis just so happened right when I was developing my own philosophies and worldviews, so I knew I was about to make a big choice. My whole family is absolutely devout religious; it permeates every aspect of their lives. So, I was discharged from the hospital knowing almost nothing (diabetic discharge education needs some SERIOUS reform where I live, in my opinion). I tried to "just go with the flow" for a while and give myself shots based on the sliding scale I was given by the doctor. It didn't work at all. My blood sugars were through the roof half the time and slamming to the ground the rest of the time.
So, I remember pleading and pleading with the big man upstairs that he would help me and make it all go away. But, things only got worse. I never had developed a personal relationship with God, but I did often think about being righteous rather than being evil. My pleading seemed useless. I was devastated. Then one day I stopped feeling sorry for myself and stopped complaining and moping around and just decided to take care of the beast on my own. I went to the library, rented about 5 books about diabetes, read one completely, and used the others as resources for the next few weeks. My control suddently became perfect, and I felt incredible. My A1C was in the 5s after being in the 13s just the time before (my A1C has never been below 6 since that time - I was absolutely devoted to attaining perfect control). Since then, the whole idea of a God that you can petition with prayers has been a complete non-issue. I no longer have duality of thought (oh this is evil and that is righteous, etc) or consider anything a "blessing" or "curse" from a supernatural power. It isn't that I completely deny the existence of any "power" or "force" that is beyond human comprehension, but the idea of the supernatural just doesn't come across my mind anymore.
I've adopted the worldview that the sacred is everywhere. But, I consider very little of what man has created to be "sacred". I've become a pretty ardent environmentalist (I hope I have the means for my future home to be completely energy-independent - I would love to have a solar-powered house - and I hope to not own a car, I think cars are basically the plague of the earth right now) and a health-food nut. I do feel that me being diagnosed with diabetes was one of the most fortuitous accidents that has ever happened to me. I feel that making the things that are around me sacred (my relationship with my wife, the trees outside my window, my insulin pump) provides me with a fulfillment that making the supernatural sacred never could. But I do know that the event - whether my diabetes was divine intervention or not doesn't really concern me - breathed a renewed passion for life into me that was almost forever lost. I wouldn't even give my diagnosis back if you offered to pay me, but I would love a cure now that I've learned what it's like to suffer.
I'm not sure if it's a difference in personality, or it was just a difference in timing or what... but, I am the only one in my family who does not claim to know that a personal God exists. I don't claim to know that a personal God does not exist either, but from my experiences so far I find myself leaning toward that side of the fence. It's interesting to me how much diabetes affects my life so significantly. It has helped me to form a meaningful sense of spirituality, encouraged me to choose a fulfilling career, and allowed me to tell a whole crowd of probably disinterested readers on juvenation about my experiences."
Doug D,
Thank you so much for posting that...really. I was getting a little frustrated. I feel the exact same way you do..I too, will go and play in the sandbox! :D