Today starts the official Diamonds 2020 blog tour!! (Also, the MERCH SHOP OPENING, but more on that later.) Whoop whoop! I have a special message for you. Even on the first day of opening registration for Diamonds 2020, we got a lot of messages and comments and DMs from chronically ill Christians who were excited that something like this even existed.

But there is one question that I’ve been getting a lot.

 

“What if I’m not chronically ill? Can I still participate in the conference?”

 

“What if I have an illness, but it doesn’t leave me bedridden or anything like that?”

 

In short, the answer is: this conference is still for you.

When I published my book He’s Making Diamonds, I got a lot of the same questions. But the thing is, we’re all human. And humans, chronically ill or not, have a lot of the same struggles and questions.

 

So yes, the Diamonds conference is targeted to chronically ill Christians. And yes, we’ve taken special steps to make sure that people with all kinds of disabilities or issues can participate. But that does not mean that healthy people can’t participate either. Just because you are physically healthy doesn’t mean you haven’t had or won’t have hard things in your life. There are many other kinds of trials besides illness.

 

While Diamonds speaks specifically to emotional and spiritual struggles chronically ill people have, everyone can still be encouraged by hearing about hope and grace and how to trust God when life sucks. And even if you don’t feel like you have a hard thing in your life right now, chances are someone you know does. Attending this conference may give you some insight into how to encourage them and understand more of what they are feeling and going through.

 

And what if you have a long-term health issue, but you don’t feel it classifies as a “chronic illness?” Guys, this conference is still for you. You don’t have to be bedridden or dying or in constant pain to have a health issue that affects you. So many people don’t take the time to acknowledge that something is affecting their life, but there comes a time when we really do need to work through the spiritual and emotional effects it has on us. Even if they are small.

 

Also, bear with me for a moment, but I really wish people would stop comparing their illnesses to each other. Okay? It is so not fair to you or the person you’re comparing yourself with. Just because someone else “has it worse” doesn’t mean your pain doesn’t matter. 

 

I have so much more I’d like to say about these topics, comparison and belittling are things I really hate to watch my spoonie family struggle with, so if you want to hear more about those topics click on the links in this post. But for now, suffice to say that if you want to come to the conference — come! No matter the state of your health. 

 

This isn’t some exclusive club. We just want to encourage as many hearts as possible through God’s grace. And since our experience is with chronic illness, that’s the perspective we’re coming from. But that doesn’t mean you have to have that same experience to participate.

View the other Day 1 Blog Tour Posts:

Bethany | Spotlight

Ariel | Spotlight

Mollie | Spotlight

Hannah | Guest Post

Hailey | Spotlight

Keep up with the blog tour for exclusive interviews, special guest posts from the D2020 staff and speakers, and more!

Now, what was that about a merch shop?

 

That’s right! You saw the hints in the conference trailer: Diamonds 2020 has an official merch shop! Now you can buy the t-shirt or sweatshirt or coffee mug and it can be a constant reminder to you that you are not alone. It can be something tangible you can hold and remember that we are fighting together.

 

Plus, all the proceeds will go towards funding his year’s conference, and any excess will be put towards putting on Diamonds 2021. We offer this conference and the study guide for free because we don’t want to burden you when you already face so many battles, but it is not free for us to put on, and the expenses have been paid out of my own pocket. So treat yourself to something from the merch shop! You’re helping serve your fellow Diamonds attendees by doing so. It’s a win-win.

 

(If for some reason, merch isn’t your thing, but you still want to support the conference, you can donate here.)

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