Tales from the Great Adventure

For it was you who formed my inward parts;
    you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
    Wonderful are your works;
that I know very well.
     My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
    intricately woven in the depths of the earth. – Psalm 139:13-15

Thursday was a fascinating day for me. In some respects it was a health marathon; then in others it was all spiritual insight. I’ll try to explain without making this a lengthy post.

First was an eye-opening consult with a diabetes educator. As of around 1:20 in the afternoon (that’s about the moment all the- information started dropping into receptive slots in my slow-on-the-uptake brain – you could almost hear it making contact, “ding-ding, ding-ding…”) the big picture started to come together for me.

Diabetes:

Some of you may not know the history, so let me – briefly – explain. Rebekah was first diagnosed with Type-I Diabetes thirty-two years ago. During the time it took to figure out what was going on, her pancreas packed up, she lost more than 20% of her weight, she declined rapidly, and her blood sugars went into orbit. Once the diagnosis was made, she was insulin dependent from the get-go.

Over the past three-plus decades Rebekah has worked with some remarkably good specialists, applied epic levels of self-discipline, and consistently impressed everyone both with her undaunted approach to health and the remarkably positive results.

However, despite everything we have done well, it’s not 1985 anymore; meanwhile, the medical community has continued to research, and to ask questions, and to experiment, and to reassess, and to learn, and to grow.

We’ve changed therapies, and approaches, and interventions, any number of times over the years. What was understood as “true” in 1985 wasn’t true at all by 1995.

Learning is a constant!

I guess we could have said, “The 1980’s were the good old days. Back then we just did what the doctor said and didn’t ask questions. We already know everything there is to know. The human body hasn’t changed. Truth is truth, isn’t it? I’m still the exact same way God created me, and that’s all there is to it.”

We could have said all that; we could have rooted ourselves where we were familiar and  comfortable, and we could have refused to acknowledge there is anything knew to learn – and in all likelihood Rebekah would have been dead years ago!

But when it came to nutrition, we really have been kind of stuck with the way we first learned. I cook all the time, and the principles just worked their way into the groundwater of my subconscious and – no matter how often I listened, or read, or promised – I would just slip back into the old ways. I may have become a much better cook over the years… but I never changed the way essential food management related to Rebekah’s diabetes.

Not until yesterday. Now I’m going to be thinking differently.

Now I’m reading labels and counting carbs. I’m not locked in yet, but I’m going to be researching my foods, planning around specific goals, measuring Rebekah’s portions, weighing meats and vegetables, pairing things appropriately, gathering information about units of insulin, carbs, protein, timing, and real-time glucose monitoring.

What I’m the most super-exited about is the real-time glucose monitoring! If insurance approves the new device, then – via an App on both our phones – blood sugar levels will be displayed constantly. Not just the number, but the trend.

If we made a reduction sauce of essentials, it all boils down to paying attention, accessing the best information, and then being willing to make changes in response to learning.

I believe there is a huge spiritual principle illustrated in that last paragraph. But I’ve run out of space for today’s post, and I haven’t even started to talk about yesterday afternoon’s visit with a friend who is recovering beautifully from a double transplant!

still learning – every day

So I guess I’ll have to pick up this conversation tomorrow. So stay tuned; and, stay tuned in to what God wants to teach us as we move forward in our lives of faith. Because growing as a disciple is all about paying attention, accessing the best information, and then being willing to make changes…. 

In love, and because of love – DEREK

still learning – every day