Amelia’s Type 1 Diabetes Motto

I decided to start something new this year by sharing fifty-two Bible verses, one per week, from some of my friends and family.  I hope to share the verse, who submitted it, and why the verse is special to the person.  This is also a way to make me commit to blogging at least once per week in 2021.  To start the year off, I want to share the Bible verse we adapted for Amelia’s Type 1 Diabetes Motto. This diagnosis came out of nowhere (story to follow in a future blog) and we had to learn to adjust to a whole new life.  I researched Bible verses and made a list for Amelia to choose from.  I told her this would be “her verse” to help her through her diabetic journey.

The verse Amelia chose was Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” I loved that she chose this verse because it has so many components that are relevant to her new chapter of living as a type 1 diabetic.

Lessons from Joshua 1:9:

Be strong:

A newbie diabetic has to prick her finger four-plus times a day.  I don’t know anyone who likes the finger prick at the doctor!  Imagine having to prick your finger multiple times a day.  Obviously, this takes a lot of strength. I dreaded the finger pricks more than the shots!  Luckily for us, Amelia handled 100% of her finger pricks from day one!

Be courageous:

Dictionary.com defines courageous as:  “the quality of mind or spirit that enables a person to face difficulty, danger, pain, etc., without fear; bravery.” Shots are frightening for most kids and even some adults.  Going from a shot or two once a year to an average of four a day is a huge adjustment.  As a new diabetic, there isn’t an adjustment period.  You can’t say, if you give one shot today, then we’ll try for two tomorrow.  It’s all or nothing, sink or swim.  We gave Amelia the control to tell us “when” to give the shot.  When she transitioned to insulin pens, Amelia began giving ALL her shots to herself.  This took tremendous courage for a ten-year-old new diabetic!

Do not be frightened:

There is so much “NEW” with diabetes that it is so easy to become overwhelmed and scared.  Each time she gives a shot, each time she has to insert a new transmitter, each time we have to return to LeBonheur and visit the lab, Amelia has so many things that can upset her. I believe the support system that Amelia has helps to make this journey much more doable.  Amelia receives tremendous support from her family and friends along with all of the many people who so kindly pray for her. We try to remember that it could always be worse than what we are facing.

Do not be dismayed:

According to Merriam-Webster, dismay means “to lose courage or resolution”.  We know we cannot change Amelia’s diabetes diagnosis and as of today, it is not curable.  We choose to navigate this new chapter with humor and grace.  “Humor makes the tough days a little easier.  Grace helps us to forgive ourselves on the hard days.” (Quick side note, Chris said, “who said this?”  I said, I did. He said that’s good, like really good, you need to save that quote!”)

The Lord your God is with you wherever you go:

I believe this is the main part of this verse. God is with us wherever we go and through whatever we experience.  In the hospital, Chris said “I would take this diagnosis in a heartbeat to save Amelia from it.” There are so many times that we have repeated this to each other; however, I wholeheartedly believe this journey has already made her stronger.  I believe that God intends us to use this journey to help others.

Tying it all together:

I am too cheap to purchase a medical container for “sharps”.  With a little creativity, we repurposed a Lysol wipe container for needles and syringes (yes this was pre-Covid before these jewels were hard to find).  We took the wrapper off and I let Amelia decorate the container however she wanted.  She decided to write out her new Bible verse on the container. I need to do a better job of reminding her of this verse and weaving it into our daily ups & downs with diabetes.

I believe Amelia’s Type 1 Diabetes Motto Bible verse can help diabetics and non-diabetics alike.  We pray that God will continue to guide us on how to use diabetes to help others. May we always remember to extend grace to ourselves and to others.