I didn’t realize how hard growing up could really be. My life was carefree. Nothing could bring me down. Well, I was wrong. A disease suddenly became a part of my life forever. Never in a million years did I think I would be diagnosed with such a serious disease at such a young age. But I was.

At seven years old, I developed symptoms of diabetes. My mom, a nurse, wanted me to get tested. Going to the hospital, getting my blood drawn, and not knowing what any of it was for—all of it scared me. A few days later I got the test results, and sure enough, I had it.

Oftentimes I asked God, “Why me? What did I ever do to deserve it? Are you punishing me?”

I got frustrated many times since I couldn’t just grab a handful of M&M’S® like the rest of the kids. I had to count carbohydrates and take insulin. It wasn’t fair!

Not only did I have to constantly count carbohydrates, but I also had to deal with people—mean people—as I got older.

I was in tears often. I felt weird enough having this disease, but when other kids made fun of me and made me feel bad about having diabetes, it hurt.

Juvenile diabetes is not curable; doctors don’t know what causes it. People have thought that the reason I am diabetic is because I ate too many sweets as a child. They said I could have prevented myself from getting the disease by cutting back—that it was my fault.

Many of these things hurt me a lot, and the sad part is I blamed God. I couldn’t understand why I had been chosen to have diabetes.

I have always loved to smile. However, I didn’t smile for almost a year, and that’s hard on a high school student. For the longest time I blamed God and did not know how much I needed him. So often I forgot Jesus made me his child.

Yes, I got through those first couple of years with my family and friends helping me, but I didn’t realize I needed someone else—my Lord and Savior.

A relationship with God during the difficult times in our lives is important. Romans 8:28 tells us, “We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

I have met many people because of my diabetes. People have seen how responsible and strong the diabetes has made me. Others have asked about it. Without diabetes, I would never have met some wonderful friends. Ironically, diabetes has been one of the best additions to my life.