Have you ever had a conversation or experience with someone and they spontaneously felt moved to connect it to being God’s will? Of course everything is God’s will. The fact that I woke up this morning, God’s will. The fact that my family is safe, God’s will. The fact that my youngest grandchild is healthy, God’s will. Speaking of God’s will conversations, two in particular stand out for me.
In 2011, I transferred my family from Denver, Colorado to Mississippi where I accepted a new job. As you might imagine, the two places couldn’t be more different. Denver had scenic mountain views, beautiful weather, professional sports teams, skiing, a vibrant arts scene, and a strong culinary vibe. My Mississippi job location was on the opposite end of the spectrum: rural, high poverty, limited jobs, agricultural, hot and humid weather, and poor health outcomes.
On many occasions, I would drive 2 hours from the country side to Jackson, the biggest city in Mississippi. I often used the drive times to talk to family and friends. One particular conversation was with my Aunt in Virginia. I complained about my new environment. I told her that this was the worst location that I had ever worked. I told her about the differences. I concluded my rant by saying that I will be on the 1st train smoking out of Mississippi.
My Aunt listened patiently without interrupting. She took in every word. When I was finished, she responded with wisdom. She said, Reggie,I believe that God sent you to Mississippi. You have so much to offer and others could benefit from your gifts. I’m sure you can find ways to serve and help others. For someone contemplating a departure within 12 months of their arrival, this was not something I wanted to hear. Respecting my elder, I couldn’t talk back nor disagree with her, at least not openly.
As time would pass, I would eventually purchase a medical supply company in Mississippi. Our main product was the Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs). These devices are patches worn on the arm to monitor diabetic patients’ blood sugar. The patches eliminated blood finger sticks, the old method used for decades. Other CGM benefits are that the patches are less painful, don’t require any set up, can monitor blood sugars 24/7, and are much more convenient. This ultimately leads to better compliance and health outcomes.
As we grew and served thousands of patients, I heard countless comments about how the CGM changed lives. People had better blood sugar control. Doctors started weaning folks off of insulin. Patients enjoyed no longer having to perform the dreaded finger stick. Looking back, I wonder if my parents would be alive if they had the benefit of the CGM. I will never know. For the people who we served, I realized that my Aunt was right; God must have sent me to Mississippi to serve and help its wonderful people who were struggling with diabetes like some many across America.
Here at FPC Montgomery, I had a recent conversation with T, a fellow inmate from South Carolina. Somehow, we started talking about Type 2 diabetes. Although his mom is inflicted with it, T didn’t know much about the disease. I took the opportunity to educate him about the disease and the complications that can arise: amputations, blindness, kidney failure, strokes, and heart attacks. We also talked about the traditional treatment options: diet and exercise, metformin, and insulin. I was speaking like a teacher while T was my student.
I could tell that I had T’s attention. T was dialed in to my every word. His thoughts and questions kept coming at me in a rapid fire manner, one after another. He was a sponge soaking up all the knowledge I could provide. He had that look in his eye of someone who had just discovered fire. We weren’t done yet though. I really blew T’s mind when I told him how the disease could be reversed. While there are several techniques, I mentioned fasting which is my method of choice.
T, who was excited and elated now that he metaphorically discovered fire, was motivated and empowered to have the beginnings of a healthy conversation with his mom. Meanwhile, I felt fulfilled. Fulfilled that I was able to share my knowledge. Fulfilled that the knowledge was received in the spirit that it was meant. Fulfilled that T was inspired to take action to educate his family and hopefully break the cycle of the horrible disease.
However, the greatest fulfillment was when T thanked me profusely and said, “God Must Have Sent You Here Mr. Reggie. I knew none of this before you got here and now I’m definitely going to tell my mom so that she can get better. Thank you! Thank you Mr.. Reggie!’ As an aside, T usually calls me OG. My heart sank. I immediately thought about my dad. T probably couldn’t tell, but my eyes teared up a little. I really wanted to hug T, but hey, I’m at FPC Montgomery and I didn’t want to destroy my Street Creds. So I refrained. My mind did, however, race back to my Aunt’s conversation from so many years ago. While I vehemently would rather be somewhere else, it’s God’s will that I’m here and, as such, I will always look for ways to serve and help others.
