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Reader Comments for
Barbara Brabec’s Testimony for Christ
If you’ve read my Testimony for Christ and would like to add your comments about it, please add them to the comments area at the bottom of this page.
Introduction
When I timidly shared the first version of my Testimony for Christ with family members and a few friends in March 1995, I had no idea of all the good things that would begin to happen as a direct result. Perhaps the most important thing was that the affirming feedback to the first sharing of my testimony greatly strengthened my “baby Christian faith” and formed solid bedrock on which to slowly build what would eventually be my little ministry on the web.
As I explained in my Testimony, not all the initial responses were what I wanted to hear, but as you can see from the selected journal excerpts and comments from individual readers below, God made sure I got all the affirmation I needed to keep sharing my Testimony with others. I hope this article will be an encouragement to you to do the same.
I never imagined then that in 2021 I would find myself wishing I had started a single document of all the uplifting comments I received from testimonial recipients instead of burying them within the pages of my daily journal notes, all of which are now in four three-ring notebooks I don’t have time to read through to glean more. But what follows should be enough to convince you that when we share our faith with others, God rewards us with the kind of feedback we need to keep going.
Notes from Barbara’s Christian Journals
3-16-95: I’ve recently sent thank-you letters and a copy of my testimony to some of the ministries that are helping me in my walk of faith, including Dr. Kennedy at Coral Ridge Ministries and Dr. Dobson at Focus on the Family. David Rice, assistant to Dr. Kennedy, sent me a lovely personal letter saying: “We have prayed for you and your walk with the Lord here at CRM today, and trust the Lord will make His presence known to you in a very powerful way. God bless you as you continue to look to Him for your answers and for your peace of mind.”
The response from Dr. Dobson’s ministry astonished me. I got a two-page personal letter from his correspondence assistant Karen Booker, who wrote:
“We are so glad to hear that you have recently made a commitment to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! What better, more important news could we possibly receive? Nothing excites us more. You’ve brightened our day and strengthened our faith by sharing this good report with us, and we appreciate it more than we can say. In addition, we’re eager to support you in your new walk with Christ, and prayer seems the most logical place to begin. This week when our staff gathers for devotions we will lift you up before the Lord, asking Him to increase your faith and to perfect the good work He has begun in you (Philippians 1:6).”
I couldn’t find words to say what it meant to me to know that my name was being lifted up to the Lord by these two ministries. The thought brought tears to my eyes and filled my heart with a special joy.
4-20-95: I finally sent my testimonial to Joan Anderson (who you’ll recall asked me one day, “Have you ever tried praying?”). I treasure the letter she sent me in response:
“Barbara, wow! You’ve got it!!!!!! Your letter was such a joy. There is nothing better in a Christian’s life than watching someone turn on to the Lord. I have wanted to say things to you for so long, but I knew they might be rejected. So I thought it was better just to stand by and be supportive and occasionally say something kind of non-controversial, a bit of gentle nudging. I am so glad that something I said took root. What you have told me nourishes my faith too. I won’t be quite so hesitant next time.
“The record of your journey is delicious and exciting. Being born again via the radio is unique, and just the sort of thing He would do for you, given your radio habit. Isn’t He awesome and darling? He always works with us where we are. No need to go to the jungle, or give up family and friends. Mother Teresa is fond of saying, ‘Bloom where you are planted,’ and that’s what (as you already understand) He’ll want you to do—just be the best home-based business consultant/writer/speaker you can be. He’ll send you the jobs, the people, everything you need.”
I journaled that day, “My network of Christian friends is growing. I am surprised that they are all telling me I’m strengthening their faith by sharing mine.” (And yes, God did do all those things Joan told me He would do, and to this day He continues to give me everything I need in all areas of my life.)
4-24-95: I recently I sent a small donation to Chuck Swindoll’s ministry with a thank-you for all the guidance he has been giving me and briefly shared my testimony and newfound joy in Christ. I got a wonderful reply from Rev. David R. Lien, one of his associate ministers. He reiterated all that I had gained by accepting Christ, which made me feel absolutely wonderful. His letter is a beautiful summary of what everyone receives when they ask Jesus to be their Lord and Savior, Too long for inclusion here, I turned this letter into a powerful Bible study lesson entitled “Your Born-Again Gifts from God” (see link below).
1-16-96: More encouraging mail today from my recent “Bible editorial.” A fax, actually, this one from a fellow I’ve chatted with from time to time. He asked me to share my testimonial, which I did, and then he faxed me this reply:
“I read your testimonial this weekend. I commend you for your faith, your words clearly came from the heart. I have a close friend and business partner who, unlike me, is a devout Christian. He and his wife are extremely active in their church. For whatever reason, I felt the need to share your testimonial with him. He was deeply moved, and impressed. He asked if he might get an original copy of the testimonial. He said he’d like to reproduce it and pass it around to others.”
2-11-95: In thinking about my new opportunity to speak to a Christian audience, the question arose once again about how I should speak, and how biblical I should get when I’m hired to talk about business. In asking God about this, he responded per usual, by waking me up in the middle of the night. The earplug was still in my ear, and as I came fully awake, I heard someone singing a song that answered my questions. I jotted down some of the words before I forgot them, and this is all I could remember, but it’s enough: “You are a sermon in shoes.” (You preach the gospel by the way you live.) “Walk it, talk it, teach it, preach it, give it, live it—the gospel! You are a sermon in shoes.” (I later found the lyrics on the web, whichyou can read here.)
5-1-96: They say that when you pray for guidance from God, and think you’re reading Him correctly, you can feel comfortable that you’re doing God’s will when you get confirmation from other sources. For the past year, I’ve felt I’m being called to be a kind of ambassador for God, to carry the gospel to the business community. And that’s why I began to write about God and the Bible in the last three issues of my newsletter, and why I’ve done the politically-incorrect thing of mentioning God and the Bible in my closing motivational message at my last three home-business conferences.
Hearing that woman say in Florida that she thought I had a gift for doing this was a wonderful confirmation to me that I am doing what I am being called to do. And when I got home, there was yet another confirmation in the form of a letter from one of the women who heard me speak in Springfield, Illinois on the 20th. She wrote:
“I want to encourage you to go ahead and publish something concerning your recent spiritual experience. Your testimony was a pleasant surprise to several Christians in attendance (including me), and I believe that because of your credibility in the business community you may have a ready-made audience.”
“Bingo! That’s 2,” I journaled. And at 4 o’clock that morning I got the third confirmation when I awoke to hear Chuck Swindoll’s sermon on 1 Timothy 1:15. He said:
“Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
Swindoll really hit me between the eyes when he closed his sermon on a note about how important it is to share our faith with others. He said that statistics show that only two percent of Christians ever share their faith with anyone, least of all their spouse. The person you love most and who loves you most should be the first person you testify to, he said, but in his experience, most married couples never do this.(Hearing that, I felt like God had just tapped me on the shoulder asking when I was going to share my faith with Harry. I finally found the courage to do that three months later.)
As a result of all that happened in ’95 and ’96, I never spoke in public again without gently sharing my faith in one way or another.
More Responses
(First names only to protect their privacy)
• Camille: “I am a Christian and am so glad to see you giving your testimony in such a wonderful way. God Bless You.”
• Neeta: “My husband and I went thru’ your testimonial. It was very touching and inspiring, full of sermons and full of references of those people who we listen to. At first my husband was very suspicious, but as we read the whole testimonial, he gave a sigh of relief that you are not among those cult groups. Praise God for your testimony. I pray that it will touch the hearts of those who are still away from Him.”
• Sharon: “Your testimony was awesome!!! I was very excited to find out that my favorite business author was also a Christian. I pray God continues to use you greatly, and He will because you want Him to.”
• Debra: “I shared my faith, hope and belief in G-d with you and you saved me. I found Jesus through your spiritual direction. I have always had you near in my thoughts & prayers.”
• Diana: “Wow, Barbara, thank you for sharing testimony. It’s powerful, and regardless of where someone’s heart is (or isn’t), it has to move them. You’ve made me think I OUGHT to write my faith journey down.”
• Roxanne: “Thanks for sending me your testimonial. I really needed it right now. I am in the process of leaving my husband of 17 years, and this year has been the worst year of my life so far—and I thought previous ones were the worst! I think the only joy I’ve ever had in my life was when I was first born-again about 21 years ago. Don’t you want to shout it from the rooftops? It was greatest thing that ever happened to me. The calm, the joy, the peace; and yet through the years I’ve let Satan take over and I’ve pushed God to the back. He’s always there but it seems I only call on him when I need something and then I feel so guilty.”
• Sue: “A few weeks ago, I was trying to explain to my husband that I had finally realized what it means to be a Christian; that I finally understood the precious gift we were given in Jesus Christ. His response was, ‘You really didn’t understand all these years?’ Amazing. For all my education and reading and church going, I never had got it. When I read your testimonial tonight, it was like God had sent me a written confirmation of what I had come to believe. So, I know I finally got it right.”
• Jim: “Thanks for sending your testimonial to me. It was very inspiring and uplifting. It’s always good to read about how others came to know Jesus Christ. My experience was very much different than yours. Growing up in the home a Baptist Pastor in the South (Louisiana), I sort of did not have a choice but to know Jesus Christ at an early age, 8 years old—40 years ago. But I would say to you, do not be too concerned about what your life could have been like IF you had known Jesus earlier. From my experience, it’s not a matter of how long you’ve known Him, but how long you’ve had a RELATIONSHIP with Him. Many people come to know Him but do not develop a relationship. Without the relationship, the benefits and quality of life is nowhere near what it could have been.”
• Wendy: “Your testimony was precious and the list of radio resources absolutely wonderful, I will keep this on file! Whatever you are facing, God is enough. I have been a Christian for over 20 years and have spent most of that time pressing in closer and closer to the Lord all the time. I couldn’t get enough of church, bible study, Christian fellowship etc., but my favourite time is still my quiet devotional time in the morning with the Lord. Just 7 years ago when my husband of 24 years walked out on our life together, with no warning, my world fell apart, BUT GOD was there for me in ways that I could never have imagined. I never really knew how much he loved me until that time. It was almost worth it to find that out. He literally carried me for such a long time, and provided for me as if I was his one and only child and he were the richest parent that ever lived. GOD IS ENOUGH.”
What So Many Are Searching For
I’m closing this page with a sampling of the kind of requests I used to receive from people who read in one of my articles or newsletters that my Testimony for Christ was available on request:
»» “I found your website really wonderful! I would be thankful if you send me the secret you wrote about.”
»» “I was reading the encouraging letters about prayer, and since I need some uplifting myself would appreciate it if you send me your testimonial.”
»» “I very much would like to know how you met the Lord. So please send me your testimonial.”
»» “Have seen your books but never read any. I am struggling to find just what the Lord wants me to do. Especially in the area of making money or a living.”
»» “I need some encouragement . . . my tank’s a little empty; would you please forward me your testimony?”
»» “Please send me your testimonial of how you came to know God. I am a Christian, but right now I am dealing with a lot of stress.”
»» “As a ‘fallen Christian’ I am searching for my spiritual self. I would love to read your story as testimonials always uplift my heart. Thanks and May God Bless you.”
»» At age 50+ I put God on hold for awhile (the children are raised), now at 56 something’s not right and I’ve been thinking of religion; not necessarily the one I grew up with. I would like to read your testimonial, it may give me some insight.”
»» “Please add me to your list to receive your testimonial. I guess we are all searching for answers in one way or the other.”
Related Articles:
Barbara’s Favorite Bible-Teaching Ministries and Pastors—those she has followed throughout her walk with Christ, through the pandemic, and now. Includes her personal comments about each and some books she particularly recommends.
Documenting Your Christian Journey. The benefits of journaling about your life experiences, with Barbara’s special journaling tips and short examples from her own Christian journals to inspire you to document your own walk with Christ.
Your Born-Again Gifts from God. Immediately upon accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you become a child of the living God and the recipient of many gifts and blessings. An encouraging Bible lesson from Chuck Swindoll’s ministry in a personal letter to Barbara.
A Widow’s Thoughts and Advice: An Uplifting Series of Articles for Widows and Other Grieving Hearts [PDF]. Three months a widow, Barbara began a ten-year series of articles in which she shared her widowhood journey and advice while reporting on conversations with other widows and their mutual strategies for dealing with grief and loss and moving on.
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