A Time for Prayer

Hello friends,

I'm so sorry that it has taken so long to write to you. I'm going through what most diabetics have trouble with. My diabetes is changing. I'm still able to control my blood sugar with diet and exercise, but I'm losing weight quickly, now that I have changed neurological medications, and now, I have to find out, carefully, what I can eat; when to exercise; and back to the frequent testing. Basically I have lost 16 pounds. I Still have a ways to go, but that's still a lot of weight loss in a short amount of time. So, I've gone from 188 lbs. down to 172 lbs.

I've been praying, a lot. The medication that I was on, for my neurological issues, could suck the calories from a hunk of lettuce and slap on another five pounds. I was very discouraged, because my grandmother weighed over 200 pounds. Now, on my new medication, I am being careful NOT to lose my weight too fast; so I'm praying for wisdom, and I'm praying that my weight will gradually come off, over time. It's a healthy way to lose weight.

Certain medications really do affect one's weight control, no matter what the nay-sayers claim. A person with diabetes, especially one on diabetes medication, can have a terrible time controlling their weight. I've been blessed. I'm still able to control my diabetes, and even lose weight, without diabetic drugs. So, have a little mercy, I say to the judgmental people who make fun of someone overweight. You don't know. You don't know their family history. You don't know what medications they are on. And you certainly don't know enough about genetics to fit into a teaspoon.

It makes me angry, when I see prejudice against people who are a higher weight. One time I actually heard a dietician claim that the little carved idols that people worshiped many millennia ago, were actually an indication that people had weight problems, then, too. What a bunch of know-it-alls. The fact is, that during the Victorian Age, not that long ago; women made certain to put on weight, so that others would see just how successful their husbands were. I know, because my grandmother was one of those women. Our fixation with hyper-thinness is a new thing, probably begun in the 1920's. Before that time, a beautiful woman was a plump woman, and skinny was anything but in.

Now, my present philosophy is, to learn all I can about my disease; find a style of eating that includes slow release carbohydrates; get on my treadmill; and pray. Yes, I said it. I pray. So, if the governor of Georgia is willing to humble himself and kneel on the Capitol steps, asking God to send rain, I'm with him. Because, we have been praying for rain, here in the middle Atlantic. So far, we have had nearly a week of rain, after a terrible drought. Now we pray for the southeast, and for other areas of the country who need it.

Prayer, for the uninitiated, or for the unbelieving is like a musical symphony that we sing with our hearts. God knows who is sincere, and he knows who is repentant; because repentance goes hand in hand with prayer. None of us are perfect, and I believe in going to God each day to ask Him for forgiveness; THEN I pray for my needs and the needs of family and friends. And, yes, I even pray for my enemies, although that's a lot harder.

It hurts my heart, when someone belittles God or a prayerful person. We cannot read their hearts. Only God can. And, yes, there are those who praise Him with their lips, and their hearts are far from Him. He told us in the Bible that would happen.

I've spent my whole life searching for the right path. Finally, in the autumn of my life, I really understood who Jesus is, my Savior, Christ the Lord. No one has to believe that, except me. I do wonder, though, about those who totally reject God. Have they ever thought about where they are going when they die? One thing is for sure, each of us is going to die, and for those non-believers, I just want to ask, if you're wrong, and there is something more, would you want to know?

These are the things that have been on my heart this week. These are the questions I asked myself throughout my own life. I did not know Him; and the joy of knowing Him later in life is the greatest blessing I've ever known.

Lord, help me to be understanding. Help me to be Your true servant. And please pardon me for my sins. I don't deserve it, but I know you will give it, not for who I am, but for who You are.

With love,
Jaye Lewis
www.entertainingangels.org
http://entertainingangelsencouragingwords.blogspot.com/