Personal Testimony — Ethan Elijah Piña

I have been writing Today’s Word for over 16 years.  Like everyone else, I have had my fair share of ‘not-so-normal’ days along the way.  But no matter what I experience personally (good or bad), I always write Today’s Word.  This morning I debated internally, and with God, about whether or not I should write about David, or if I should share with you what Isabella and I have experienced over the last few days.  I have peace about the latter, so that is what I will do.

A few months ago the Lord led Isabella and I have another baby.  This is something we had prayed about for years and although I had gotten to the point where I did not want anymore children, the Lord dealt with me about it in prayer, I submitted to His will, and Isabella got pregnant soon thereafter.  This past week I solicited your prayers, but I did not give you the specifics.  Isabella, who was only 28 weeks pregnant, was showing signs of going into preterm labor.  We prayed, believed God, asked our friends to pray, and stood in faith, but the contractions would not stop.  Before long we were in the hospital, in the Labor and Delivery Ward, preparing to have a 28-week term baby.

Different doctors and nurses came in and they all pretty much had the same things to say.  They told us of the challenges that babies of this development stage face, and how the baby’s lungs will probably not be developed enough for him to breathe on his own, and how he could have respiratory problems long-term, and etc., etc., etc..  I know they were just doing their job, but I kept telling Isabella, “I don’t know how people without God do it, because if we did not have God, the things they tell us would have filled out hearts with fear.”  Throughout the entire process, and throughout the barrage of negative reports, I am thankful to God that Isabella and I can say that we never once feared.  The peace of God kept us every stop of the way and we refused to accept any negative reports over our baby.  I kept telling Isabella, “We live from another reality.”

Saturday night, at 10:53pm, Ethan Elijah Piña was born and while he had only 28 weeks of development in the womb, by the grace of God I can tell you that he is breathing on his own, he is healthy, and while he is obviously small, the doctors have found nothing wrong with Ethan.  Isabella is also recovering beautifully and we are thankful to God for His grace, favor and blessing on our lives.

So what does this mean to you today?  Here are a few things:

1.  There is a God, and you are not Him.  Whenever dealing with a death, a birth, or a life-threatening situation, you are reminded of how much we, as the creation, rely on our Creator.

2.  You don’t have to accept everything the world tells you to accept.  If we had accepted every negative statement told to us by medical professionals we would have crossed over into fear, we would have no longer been in faith, and there is no telling what we would be facing right now.  Jesus taught us that we can be in the world, but not of the world (see John 17).  We have dual-citizenship.  We are living here (earth), but we are connected to there (heaven), and our connection to heaven enables us to live from a different reality in the earth.

3.  The Word will keep you.  While we were in the middle of our faith-fight, not only was the Holy Spirit reminding me of His Word (that is hidden in my heart), but He was also reminding me of the words that I just recently shared, from His Word, that also served as encouragement.  Just last week I shared messages like: “It’s not always going to be easy,” “God’s grace on your life does not mean that you will not face anything difficult,” “God’s timing is not your timing,” “Your clock of expectation is not always set to God’s time for manifestation,” “God can give you the grace to wait,” and “Stand on the last Word you heard.”  That last one really helped me, because when Isabella first started having contractions the Lord told me that this would all work our for our good.  Throughout the entire process I kept going back to that Word and reminding Isabella that this would work out for our Good.

4.  With God you are never without hope.  I don’t know how people without God do it.  I have been walking with God for almost 18 years and I have faced my fair share of challenges along the way, but facing challenges WITH GOD is much different from facing them without Him.  When you know God is with you, you can have peace in the midst of harrowing situations.

5.  God already knew.  While we were in the hospital, going through the labor process, far earlier than I expected, this thought kept ringing in my heart, “God already knew this would happen and He knew before the foundations of the world.”  The fact that He knew, even though I did not, gave me peace.  When something unexpected happens to you, you can find rest and peace in the fact that it was not unexpected to God.  He already knew and He already equipped you for it.  The fact that you are facing it is evidence that you can take it and that He trusts you with it.

Closing Confession:  Father, from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.  You sit on the circle of the earth.  You have all things in and under control.  All things are under Your feet and there is no other God but You.  You are my God, You are my Lord, You are my King, and I worship You everyday, in every way.  I will never cease to give You praise for what You have done in my life and I will never cease to worship You for just being YOU!  I love You Lord, with all my heart.  I thank You for teaching me that I am in the world, but not of the world.  I have dual-citizenship.  While I live in the earth, my primary citizenship is in heaven.  I am able to live from another reality.  I don’t live by what I see with my natural eyes, I live by Your Word and by what I see with my Spiritual eyes.  Therefore, I don’t have to accept every negative report that comes from the world.  When the world offers me what I know is not Your will for my life, I simply choose to opt-out and live by Your reality.  No matter what I am facing, I face it with the strength that comes from within.  I have hidden Your Word in my heart and the Holy Spirit brings the right Word to my remembrance, when I need it, and the Word fuels my faith and strength.  I am never hopeless, because with You I am never helpless.  And finally Father, when I face something I did not expect, I find peace in the fact that while it may have been unexpected to me, it was not unexpected to You.  You knew before the foundations of the world that it would happen and You already prepared me for it.  Thank You Father!  I am ready for whatever comes my way.  You are ON ME, IN ME, WITH ME, and FOR ME!  I am ready for this day!  In Jesus’ name, Amen!

This is Today’s Word!  Apply it and Prosper.