My Final Article: Reflecting on 12 Years of Writing and Faith

Over the past twelve years, I have had the honor of writing 145 articles for the Post Bulletin. Each article represents a different topic, a distinct life story, and countless hours spent typing away at my keyboard. Through these writings, I have shared my innermost thoughts, exposed my vulnerabilities, and conveyed the full spectrum of life's emotions.

When I first stepped through the door to begin this writing journey twelve years ago, I could never have imagined the goodness that would come from it. I have been deeply moved and blessed by many beautiful souls:

In 2019, I received an anonymous letter from one reader who said they asked for a sign that God forgives and then opened the paper to read, “in black and white”, the fullness of God’s forgiveness and love in a special edition article I wrote. How awesome!

There was my sweet, reader friend LaVerne (now walking with the Lord in heaven), who made crosses to give to others out of old square nails. His wish to meet me and give me one of his crosses while in hospice not only came true but also allowed me to feature him and his beloved wife in my next article. How awesome! 

I have also been blessed by Arnie, who writes to me periodically (and I to him), and always shares kind and encouraging words, snippets of his life, and a tea bag to enjoy. How awesome!

Ruth, oh my dearest Ruth. Years ago when she was in our lobby waiting for her vehicle I offered her a treat I had brought for our team. We began chatting and several minutes into our conversation she realized who I was—the author of the many articles she had read. Her joy and excitement made me giggle. She acted as though she was in the presence of royalty. I did not know how to respond to such praise. But not long after, I saw that Ruth is like that with most people—she has so much joy and love for others that she makes them feel like royalty. How awesome!

Ardel is my plant-saving angel. He called to share a recipe for the most wonderful natural deer spray after learning about the devastation the deer had caused to my beautiful plants in one of my articles. I have been using it ever since to keep the deer from snacking in my garden. How awesome!

Then there is the man who was so moved by my "We the People" article and my love for our nation that he came by to offer a one-hundred-dollar bill to help pay for the books ("If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty" by Eric Metaxas) I had offered to buy for my readers. How awesome!

On a side note, my three “We the People” articles are some of the most read and searched for. Clearly, I am not the only one that has such great love for our nation. I invite you to visit our blog: BabcockAutoCare.com/blog then search for “We the People” and you will find these three articles: “We the People”, “We the People are Called to Vote”, and “We the People II”. There is no better time to read and to share than in this election year!

I could go on and on, as I've received countless letters, emails, and phone calls from readers sharing how I've blessed or impacted their lives or the lives of their loved ones. To all of you not specifically mentioned by name, I want to say thank you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your kind words and encouragement, and for sharing your stories with me. I have prayed for you and thanked God for you over the years.

I love knowing that I have impacted so many, but the truth is, I have been even more impacted. I am deeply humbled that my words have been read all these years and that the Lord would use little-old-me to continue spreading the goodness of who He is and all that He has done. I am grateful to the Post Bulletin for allowing me to write unedited and share my stories and my faith in the One who is, and who was, and who is to come.

A friend recently reminded me “all good things must come to an end”. My articles have been a good thing. I started writing them to educate readers about their vehicles and to advertise our shop. But they have evolved into something greater—what I believe God intended: sharing life lessons through the wisdom He has given me and to advertise Him. That’s why we are all here, isn’t it? To use our gifts for God’s glory, to use the wisdom He has given us to help others, and to advertise for Him—shining for Him, pointing people to Him, and sharing the Gospel and its Truth to anyone who might have ears to hear and eyes to see. I have done my best to achieve this. And though I will not stop advertising Him in my life, I know it is time to gently close the door of my monthly article writing.

It doesn’t seem proper to close this particular door without first talking about the door I walked through years ago and how it changed my life. I’ll begin by sharing one last experience with you.

At the end of May my daughter, Briella along with my husband and I traveled to Kentucky to visit the Creation Museum and Ark Encounter. Have you heard of these? Have you ever been? I’ve wanted to go ever since I heard about them but I didn’t know what to expect or how much I would enjoy it. I am not a big museum kind of gal. Most of the museums I’ve ever been to are boring and exhausting. I don’t necessarily love slowly walking around reading things. I much prefer experiences and interactions. To my utter delight, we experienced all of these.

The Creation Museum is a museum dedicated to promoting a literal interpretation of the biblical account of creation. The Ark Encounter features a full-size replica of Noah’s Ark built to biblical proportions. Both are operated by the Christian apologetics organization, Answers in Genesis (AiG). So many answers lie in Genesis and it was fascinating to explore it all. There are exhibits, a theater, gardens, speakers, educational programs, and interactional activities all about creation and the flood.

We learned things we never knew before including the answers to so many questions people often have about creation, science, history, and faith. We learned about the 7 C’s of history: Creation, Corruption, Catastrophe, Confusion, Christ, Cross, and Consummation – a framework designed to provide a comprehensive overview of history from a young-earth creationist perspective which helps us understand fossils, rock layers, people groups, and so much more.

During our three-day visit, there was not enough time to see or hear everything since programs change daily. I believe we could spend weeks there and still not see or hear everything. If I were to share the things I learned in those three days, I would need to continue writing my articles for many more months. But I’ve already said the door is closing on this so let me sum it up with the door I promised to share with you.

Before sin entered the world, the earth was a perfect paradise. However, everything changed in Genesis 3 when sin and death entered due to Adam and Eve’s disobedience to God. Following that the Bible recounts how humanity became exceedingly wicked, prompting God to plan a flood to cleanse the earth. Noah, who was righteous in God's eyes, was instructed to build an ark according to God's specifications, with one door. When God shut the door, it symbolized His justice and mercy: the wicked outside perished, but those inside were saved. Even in judgment, God provided mercy.

Wickedness and sin continue in our world today. But God promised, by the sign of the rainbow, never to flood the earth again. However, because God is holy, there must be atonement for our sin in order to be reconciled to Him and spend eternity in heaven with Him. In His perfect plan, God provided this through His Son, who died on the cross for our sins. Jesus became the door to our salvation. “I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved.” -John 10:9. Just as Noah’s family was saved through one door, we must also enter through one door—Jesus.

I saw the door many years ago but didn't go through it right away. I didn't think I was good enough—I was burdened with a suitcase of sin. For years, I carried the shame of having a child out of wedlock. Throughout my life, I had lied, stolen, disrespected others, harbored unrighteous anger, and failed to honor God in countless ways. I felt unworthy of walking through the door.

But here’s the thing, God knows our sins and still he beckons us through. He calls to us. He says “I am the door of the sheep … If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture” – John 10:7, 9. As the Good Shepherd, Jesus willingly died for you and for me. He waits for us to walk through the door and follow Him.

Do you remember the movie, The Wizard of Oz? When the house lands and Dorothy opens the door the film transitions from black and white to Technicolor, highlighting the magical and fantastical nature of Oz.

That, my friends, is what happens when you walk through the Door and follow the Shepherd. Where once life may have seemed dull or devoid of meaning, Jesus brings clarity, depth, and vibrancy. His teachings illuminate our understanding of love, compassion, and purpose, transforming our existence from monochrome into full color and life.

Don’t get me wrong. Life does not become all rainbows and butterflies. There is still pain and heartache. There is still sin because we live in a fallen world. But as you repent, surrender to Him, learn from Him, and follow Him, your eyes begin to see color like they never have before.

I recently spent a weekend with someone I love very much. We had wonderful experiences and even more wonderful conversations. He is truly an amazing person, doing incredible things in his life. He treats people well and is thoughtful, compassionate, giving, and kind. I could share countless stories about him that would leave you in awe.

During our time together we discussed faith, religion, and God. He had many questions about “the God of the Bible” which I tried to answer with the wisdom I’ve gained over the years (and some insights I recently learned at the Creation Museum!). But my responses never seemed to fully satisfy him, and he ended our discussion by saying that he believes he is a good person and that if the God I speak of is truly good, he can’t see why he wouldn’t go to heaven. 

This seems like a pretty reasonable thing to say and think, doesn’t it? Is this the way you feel? If not, how would you respond?

I responded by not fully responding. I prayed for guidance in what I might say and then I simply encouraged him to pray to see what God might reveal to him about his beliefs. You see, when others aren’t fully receptive or we don’t seem to have the right answer at the right time, it is enough to love and quietly pray—for it is not you or I who will convince someone to believe in Christ. That’s God’s job. It’s our job to share when given the opportunity and seek His guidance.

The truth is, I don’t have all the answers. Even if I thought I knew all of the answers, I would be mistaken. What I really need is to know Jesus. And how do I know Jesus? By doing the things He says to do. And how do I know the things He says to do? By reading what He says in the Bible.

This is what I began doing twenty-four years ago when I walked through the Door. And what I’ve found is that as I read, and do, and know, I get to see in technicolor.

I see that I sin and mess up all of the time and yet, I am forgiven. As I repent and turn from my sins and obey my Savior, I see the brightness of all the good He has for me. How awesome!

I see how I am fearfully and wonderfully made and that God has a good purpose for my life—a much better, more vibrant plan and purpose than I could ever dream of. How awesome!

I see that I am not alone as the Shepherd guides my path (sometimes having to put me back on the right path) and provides for all my needs in dazzling ways. How awesome!

I see how a relationship with Jesus allows me to experience and produce radiance as the fruit of the Spirit is developed in me with greater love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. How awesome!

I see that the One who is, and who was, and who is to come opens my eyes every single day to His magnificence so that I never fail to share it with all who have ears to hear and eyes to see. How awesome! 

Walking through the Door has changed my life in these awesome ways and so many more. And I get to feel the same way Ruth made me feel that day many years ago—like royalty, because I am a child of the Most High King. How awesome!

If you are also a child of God, I am thrilled beyond measure. If you are not, won’t you consider walking through the Door so that you can experience all the goodness I have shared? As the Psalmist writes, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” – Psalm 34:8.

And with this, I bid you farewell as I gently close this door. Thank you for being such loyal and kind readers for the past twelve years. Thank you for listening to me share the growing up years of my four children—who are now all thriving adults and live in four different US time zones! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers through the ups and downs of the life moments I’ve shared. And most of all, thank you for considering becoming my brother or sister in Christ. As you “taste”, you will surely “see” —see in technicolor—just how good life lived in Jesus truly is. How awesome!