The Mirror....

Well, another year has come and gone and I can quite honestly say that it has been one of the hardest years I have gone through in a very long time. Between torn relationships, the loss of loved ones and friends battling cancer and other diseases like diabetes, there has been much heartache.  I have had to take a very serious look at my life and where I am at in it and what God's calling is on my life.  What I had to do was look in the mirror, both a physical mirror and a mirror of my heart.

Life is not always easy and we are sometimes dealt a hand that is not what we want, or even what we had expected.  But, we have no choice but to face it and deal with life as it comes at us.  I am at that time in my life.  A time where I have life changes taking place that I can not control.  It is a time where I have had to put my trust in the Lord for literally everything.  As I have said goodbye to family and friends this past year, I was forced to look at myself and see who I am and who God created me to be.  I have been forced to see where I have fallen short in my life and to take responsibility for that, and that is one reason I am here, blogging, for my first time.....ever!!

I know many people who write, and write well, I might add.  My daughter is a young writer and has decided to venture on this journey with me, to aide me along, and encourage me to better health and to tackle something that I have had a desire to do for quite some time. I felt writing about something I knew, and was going through, would probably be the best way for me to get my feet wet in writing, and so I start.

I spoke of looking into a mirror.  A physical mirror, to see who I was, what I looked like, how I had aged.  But, I also meant the mirror of my heart.  I spent so much time taking care of my six wonderful children and my husband of 22 years to find that I had not taken care of myself like I should have.  My energy and time was given to my family, whom God blessed me with, and whom I love.  Yet, I was tired, never sleeping through the nights and sometimes falling asleep in my chair.  I didn't feel good and I knew I was slowly deteriorating. I had failed in taking care of myself and I did not love myself like I should have. I felt guilty to take time out for myself. I poured my heart out, yet, I didn't take care of ME!

Having been diagnosed with gestational diabetes during my pregnancies, and gaining 60+ lbs. with my first pregnancy due to the gestational diabetes, I was told that I was a high risk for full blown Type II diabetes later in life.  In February of 2002, I was diagnosed with it.  So, years after living with it, and watching my aunt pass into eternity after suffering from the complications of it, and having friends struggle with diabetes, I took a second look at life. God got my attention in 2012, after having half of my family leave the home, for various reasons.  Things were downsized, priorities refocused and God was brought full center.

I realized how fragile we all are and how our time is very brief in the realm of eternity.  Our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit and we are responsible to take care of ourselves. Now is that time.

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body," (1 Cor. 6:19-20).

So, as I venture down this road to blogging, and take on the challenges of living with diabetes, I hope you will be encouraged. I hope you will encourage someone you know who has this disease, to follow along, so we can help each other live a healthier lifestyle and fight this disease that has altered so many lives.

Blessings!

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