I’m admittedly no scientist, much less a credentialed, tenured nutrition expert. But I understand what I’ll call “sugar rush syndrome” pretty well.
I come from a long line of diabetics, simple as that. For many years I kept pretty solidly to low-carb eating and even off-and-on exercise, so was able to fend off diabetes. No more.
About 9 months ago my blood sugar began to show “you’re getting up there bro… watch it…” and sure enough, my doctor assures me I am indeed diabetic.
No surprise.
When you are younger you just don’t care, or don’t think about, or don’t worry about how your choices might affect you- much less others. Well, you pop in and out of caring.
As a young Christian I began to care deeply about all of my choices. It was a no-brainer that it was -my own fault- that I had become an addict. Drugs, alcohol, sex, and indeed music (that sonic drug that often ruled me and my relationships and other choices) were issues all feeding into my chosen self-destruct.
When I began to follow Jesus He near-immediately made it plain that even good things could bring me to a bad state. Worse, it became ever clearer that I needed to consider how many people I was influencing down the same flush, the same fail, the same addictions that had run and ruined my own life for so long. In simple terms, only Jesus could be Lord, not my own desires no matter how “good and right”.
So like many immature believers do, nobody taught or preached that I should become legalistic about these things, or judge others or have little patience for others in their addictive states. From time to time I laid pretty hard words and judgments on others in those days, and those are among my regrets in life.
At the same time, for me, just for myself and my own sobriety and sanity, I really could NOT go for nor do all that others might have been doing and have any sense of peace within myself nor with God. The truth of The Bible began to ring louder than ever in my ears. Moderation (wow… what’s THAT?!!) and balance, but sometimes “Can’t go there, danger not worth the risk” was what I heard in my heart.
The quick fix, drugs of choice, the “who cares?!!” attitude and “you don’t UNDERSTAND” defense had to go. I realized that there would be at least some reaping what I was sowing, that my choices meant something, if not to me, to God and in terms of how my mess would affect others.
This was a different burden than that of addiction and self-centered “go-to” sins “of the flesh”. The act of loving God and others meant I had to do a bit of self-denial, suffering, accepting the pain of “Not for You Glenn” in various areas.
Well nothing has changed in one sense: dying to self is no more popular nor encouraged in the wider world and churches than it ever has been. No mystery, that!
A1C tests and other such numbers rarely lie. Regardless of holidays, special occasions or anything other, loving God and others, even seeking to live out Jesus’ command “Love your neighbor AS YOU LOVE YOURSELF” (my emphasis) means taking care of yourself properly.
Easy to sing, write lyrics, blogs, speak, easy to talk about issues without rightly dealing with them yourself… but here I am back to low carb and the daily treadmill or on the road, workout regimen. It’s all part of life in a fallen world.
“Give us this day our daily bread” might truly mean “Lord, give me what You seek for ME and help ME deal with MY eating/etc. as you desire… according to my NEEDS, not wants”… and “I thank YOU for your faithfulness to help me GROW where I need to GROW by Your provision”.
Oh- no meds needed. After several months of working on it my Doc says as long as I continue to eat right (been doing it), lose weight (doing that) and exercise (been daily) and the numbers stay or drop I am “in control” with my (sigh…) diabetes. Yep. Grace. As I accept and do my part in the process.
Sugar rushes come and go. “The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2.17
Just came in from my doctor’s appointment. She was all smiles as our plan is working, all the bad numbers falling further still 🙂 Low carb, portion control, daily exercise and a few other little tweaks are doing the good stuff in my blood, weight, etc.. Oh- about the adjoining pic: I have just about never taken sugar packets in anything, but recently also moved from Splenda to Stevia just to keep things reeeeaaallll tight.
So I don’t know what sugar rushes you deal with, but we all need someone to check the numbers and help us, no? Accountability is a major help as always!
As always, thanks for stopping by! -Glenn
AURORA, IL
glennkaiser.com 