Have you ever thought about wandering away from diabetes? Have you ever just had your fill of it all? Have you ever wanted to throw in the towel? Have you ever thought enough is enough?

I touched on this a bit in my post a couple weeks ago called “Three Ways to Avoid Diabetes Burnout.” Aside from the never-ending nature of this chronic illness, all the medication and beeping and carb counting and appointments and sleep loss can sure add up to drag us down. It’s no wonder people with diabetes often wander away from taking good care of themselves. 

I get it. Thirty years into this relationship with diabetes now, I have definitely wanted a break (and far more than once). But here’s what I know for certain: no matter how long you’ve faced burnout, no matter how long you’ve ignored your blood sugar, no matter how long it’s been since you counted a single carbohydrate, it’s not too late to turn around. Your health and ultimately your very life are at stake. 

IS THIS YOU?

If you are relating to what I’m saying here, I just want to encourage you today. It’s not too late to make changes. Now, you don’t have to be perfect immediately. You don’t have to go from zero to 100%. Burnout can make great diabetes management feel impossible. So don’t focus on great – great can be overwhelming. Just try to do the next right thing. Focus on just that day, or even part of a day. And then do it again. Pretty soon you’ll start to see a difference. And don’t be down on yourself for wandering. We are prone to wander.

We are prone to wander from God as well. He knows we are. God knows His creation is pulled to drift away. This world around us closes in hard, and we walk in one direction or another away from what God would want for us. And sometimes we even make conscious decisions to wander away.

A PARABLE OF JESUS

This reminds me of a parable Jesus tells in Luke chapter 15 about a boy who decided he’d be better off on his own. He took his inheritance in advance from his father, set off for another country, and ended up completely wasting it all away. Ultimately, he had no choice but to get whatever work he could, and he found himself feeding pigs. The longer he starved due to a famine in the area, the more appetizing the pig food looked to him! 

Once he realized what he was doing, he decided to return home and beg for his father’s forgiveness. He thought maybe, just maybe, his father would allow him to become a servant. He felt he was no longer worthy to be called his son. But as he neared his home, his father saw him from a distance. Much to the boy’s surprise, his father came running toward him, threw his arms around him, and celebrated his return! 

“For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.” So they began to celebrate.

Luke 15:24

Have you ever wandered away from God like the son in this story wandered from his father? Have you ever noticed you’re starting to drift? It typically happens slowly, and it takes a while to realize it most of the time. But at some point, we catch on. And when we do, it’s not too late to turn around. Yes, we are prone to wander from God, but here’s the good news – we can return home. 

WE CAN TURN BACK TOO

I pray that this parable is a reminder to you today that we can turn back to God if we have wandered away. I pray the incredible love and forgiveness on the part of the father in this story gives you a glimpse into the love and forgiveness of our Heavenly Father. That is the love we have available to us when we find ourselves wandering from God. He is always there with open arms to welcome a wandering soul. He will delight in celebration when His children return home. 

Take some time today to read Luke 15:11-32 and consider what we can learn about God’s incredible love for His children as shown through the character of the father in this parable. 

God, I thank You for Your unending love. You love in a depth so much greater than I can understand, and I thank You for Your incredible love today. When I start to wander from You, Father, help me to realize it and return to You. Help me to know You love me all the time, and that there is nothing I can do that could separate me from Your love. Amen.

For Further Reading: Luke 15:11-32, Romans 5:8, Romans 8:38-39, Ephesians 3:14-19, John 3:16