Tuesday, February 7, 2012

The Power Of ONE


"I will heal my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace."
Jeremiah 33:6 NIV

At the end of 2011, I felt a prompting to take action and put feet to my faith (faith without works is dead). I had been praying over seven years for healing and believing God to miraculously take my diabetes away. I had done everything possible toward my goal of being physically healthy and whole. I visited numerous healing ministries, prayed with countless individuals, and consistently worked out at the gym with confidence that God would correct my blood glucose. However, something was different this time around. I had sensed a unique prompting in my spirit to move forward. My faith took action like never before. The Spirit encouraged me with ONE.

ONE unit difference in my insulin injections. Let me explain.

As a type 1 diabetic, I am required to inject insulin into my blood stream four times per day. Because my pancreas is currently not functioning, I have to calculate how many carbohydrates (which turn to sugar to fuel the cells) are in each meal and inject insulin accordingly. Insulin is the vehicle in which sugar is transferred into the cells, which then burns it as energy. The insulin to carbohydrate ration changes with each meal eaten.

I will give you an example: If there are 100 carbohydrates in breakfast and the insulin to carbohydrate ratio is 1 to 4, I would need to inject 25 units of insulin (100 / 4 = 25). This was my former equation for calculating my insulin dosage. It is vital to correctly equate the right amount of insulin for injection. A normal blood glucose reading is roughly between 80-130. If one injects too much or too little insulin, the blood glucose can either become dangerously low or high, resulting in a diabetic coma. My levels had been good based on my old ratios. However, they were about to become even better.

As Linaya and I prayerfully felt the Holy Spirit leading to move ahead with changing my insulin dosage by just ONE unit less, we put feet to our faith by financially sowing seeds into numerous ministries. We were in agreement that nothing is impossible with God but also that faith without works is dead (Luke 1:37 and James 2:24). We gave above and beyond what our normal tithes and offerings are every month. I share this important point because there is power in seed faith. Money represents our time, energy, and talent. It is near and dear so we tend to tenaciously hold on to it. For Linaya and myself, sowing seeds of faith literally is putting money where our mouth is.

January 1, 2012 was the first day of the best days of my life. My old insulin to carbohydrate ratio was 1 to 4. My new ratio is 1 to 5. For example, if I take the same breakfast equation I previously explained with ONE less unit, my new injection meter is 20 units of insulin (100 / 5 = 20) instead of 25. That's 5 less units for breakfast alone! That equates to ONE-thousand plus injection units less of insulin per year. As a result, my blood glucose levels have remained balanced (See above picture). This miracle is a big deal for me! The Lord has begun a physical healing in my body. This is His increase through my life, a testimony of God's saving and healing power. I am experiencing His abundant peace that He promised. This is the power of ONE.

Together we can make it a great day!
Rev. Ryan Bunbury