Life as we knew it

This day in 2002 was the last day our lives would be the way we knew it.

I'm not one to remember exact days and dread their arrival, after all, what's done is done and I feel there's no reason to torture yourself and be depressed over dates and events. Please don't misunderstand....there's nothing bad about doing that, it's just not something I do.

But... there is one day I just can't shake no matter what. That day will be here tomorrow.

The day Jessi was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes at the age of 19 months old.

The day her finger poke was 596.

The day her arm draw was 626.

The day she was admitted into the hospital for an entire weekend stay.

The day that would change our family forever.

The day that many of you are also familiar with yourselves. So you get the jist of what we dealt with. You understand the heartbreak and the pain, the wonder and the headache of medical lessons shoved down your throats. The anger and panic, sorrow and helplessness, and the complete and utter destruction of life as you knew it to be.

Perspective is interesting...isn't it? Especially when it changes.

Nine years ago, I desperately was on my knees begging The Lord to please not let my child die. To please let the Doctor figure out what was wrong with her and if she had to be hospitalized to please let it be for only 3 days.

HE ANSWERED MY PRAYER! WORD... FOR... WORD!

In fact, that's a big part of my testimony.

Life hasn't been so bad. It's different since that day......but ya know what? I wouldn't change a thing. Seriously. Because.....

Our family dynamic changed for the better.

Our priorities shifted.

Our faith grew stronger.

A post or two ago I wrote about contemplation. This is something that's been on mind.....

An incurable disease brought into my family for the purpose of redirecting our paths.

I often wonder what life would be like had that event not happened. Would we be a strong family? Would we still be married? Would we have had another child? Or two? Would we be dealing with some worse medical issue? Would we have no worries? Would our kids have the values they have now? Would we still be 'the party house'? Would our heads still be up our butts?

Would we have salvation and be growing in the things of God?

I truly believe that we were picked up by God and pivoted completely in the opposite direction. Without what we have endured, we wouldn't be the people we are today. A tragic situation turned into a blessing. A blessing that continues to cause us to grow and change and look at things WAY differently. A blessing that brought our family closer. That changed our priorities. That taught us how to really love each other. That caused us to take a serious look at our faith and ourselves. A blessing that, to this day, still has effect on us and is the reason our path is now lit.

(Oh, we stumble all right! Sometimes that path isn't bright enough and we trip and skin our knees....but we're flesh and that happens.)

Without that pivotal moment 9 years ago, life as we know it now, would not exist. So the date I can't seem to shake, is the date I don't want to shake. It was the day our lives were saved.