By Emily Lawson

Hi! My name is Emily Lawson, I am 15 years old and have Type one Diabetes (T1D). T1D is an autoimmune disorder that attacks the pancreas and stops it from making insulin. I was diagnosed with T1D when I was 10 years old and have been learning how to deal with and treat it for almost five years.

When I was first diagnosed, I was mad. I was mad at the world and mad at God. I asked God why it had to be me that had T1D. There were a lot of days I just didn’t want to get out of bed or eat or drink anything. There is something about a diagnosis of a chronic illness that just does something to you, physically and mentally. It made me wonder what I did in my 10 years of life that could have warranted this. Why did God hate me?

I realize now that God was going to use me to help others. About two years after I was diagnosed, one of the teens in our church was diagnosed with T1D also. My mom and I were able to help him and his family because we knew, on a personal level, a little of what they were going through. Just after that, one of the older men in our church was also diagnosed and I have been able to give him advice on treating and managing the highs and lows that come with this disease. Sometimes the three of us T1Ds will sit together and talk about our struggles and give encouragement to each other.

I have to remind myself sometimes that I’m not fighting this alone. I have God and my family helping me fight T1D. I love 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 which says, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”. Before these verses, Paul was telling us about a problem that he had and asked God to take it away three different times. I love these verses because God tells Paul that He won’t take the problem away but says he can rely on God through all of his hardships and that His grace is enough. This is a reminder to me that my life with T1D may not be easy, but I can trust God to be with me through it.

There are going to be more days ahead when I feel like I’m just trying to survive. Even five years into this diagnosis I still have days that I don’t want to get out of bed, and I don’t want to deal with T1D. I have no idea what you might be going through in your life; chronic illness, anxiety, depression, but I do know that we can rest in the promise that God will give us the strength to push through whatever it is we are battling, and He will be with us in the fight and that gives us hope!

About the Author: Emily Lawson is a sophomore in high school and lives in Westland, MI with her parents and sister Olivia.  When Emily is not reading a book, she enjoys playing volleyball and softball, spending time with her friends and spouting “fun facts”.  Emily has a desire to help those around her recognize that God has made them special, quirks and all, and He wants to use them for His glory.