In God’s providence, I was born in a Christian home, the fifth child of my parents. My sister Gisela was the third child. My mother and father had been told that two children were enough in those bad economic times. But my parents left the family planning to God, and here I am, thankful for His protection from my mother’s womb until now. Although it was illegal, people did abort their children in those days. Growing up in a home with Christian parents who loved each other, their children and most importantly God, was a great blessing for which I am always thankful.

Both of my parents were teachers and spent a lot of time with us. My mother was a good storyteller. While she ironed, mended, etc., she held us spellbound. Very early, I knew the difference between fairy tales and true stories, and that Bible stories are God’s Word and certainly true.

My parents insisted on proper behavior, order, obedience and respect for them, and authority. This led to a reverential fear of God later on. Although my parents were very strict, they showed us their love in many ways without using often the words, “I love you.” We always felt assured of their love. There was much fun and laughter, playing games together or taking walks. We learned to love and respect nature and thank the Creator.

There was no separation of church and state, so the Bible was taught in public schools. It was not mandatory to participate, but in my school years each child did. We heard the story of Creation, the patriarchs and prophets that foretold the coming of Christ, and God’s dealings with His people. I loved the stories of Christ, His birth (most of us knew Luke 2:1-20 by heart) and His life, suffering, death on the cross, resurrection, ascension and, 50 days after Easter, Pentecost. For each event there were legal holidays when all businesses and schools were closed. The most important legal holiday was Sunday, the day on which Christ rose from the dead. Stores were closed Saturday afternoon until Monday morning. We had no homework over the weekend. No work was done unless necessary, only works of healing or helping the needy.

Growing up in that environment, I thought everybody was a Christian. I did not meet an unbeliever until my best friend confided she did not believe in God and all she had learned in religion classes. I was shocked. But I was not a Christian because I had been taught or even because I believed. The devil also believes and trembles. I was dead in sin until God quickened me and drew me to Himself. He convicted me of my sin and in love brought me to repentance. He sent His Son Jesus to live a perfect life to give me His righteousness. Jesus went to the cross and died for my sin. God poured out His wrath on Him instead of on me, and forgave my sin by His grace, not for anything I had done to earn or deserve this.

Many times I was convicted of my sin when I disobeyed my parents or was unkind to my brothers and sisters. One day, when they were all in school and I was alone at home with my mother, she put a bunch of grapes on the kitchen counter and left the room. Those grapes were tempting. I ate one after the other until only a handful was left. My mother came and said, “Waltraud, what is left for the others?” She did not raise her voice or punish me. I felt so very guilty that I had been so selfish and not thought of my brothers and sisters.

Another time I did something deliberately my mother had told me not to do. I looked at a picture she had of Christ hanging by her bed. I took it off the wall and spat on it. My mother came into the room at that moment, gasped and said, “Waltraud, that’s what the bad men did who nailed Jesus to the cross.”

She looked so sad, but said no more nor punished me. But I felt so very sinful and as though I could never be forgiven. I identified with those bad people. God could never accept me. But Jesus even asked the Father to forgive those who nailed Him to the cross.

My parents had often quoted the verses from Romans 3:10-12. “There is none righteous, no not one…they are altogether unprofitable.” I never liked to hear that, though they meant us when we were naughty. But then I was truly convicted and repented of my sin. I tried so hard to behave after that, but found myself again and again doing something wrong. Often we sang a song at night before going to sleep. One verse stands out in my mind. Hab ich Unrecht heut getan, sieh es, lieber Gott, nicht an. Deine Gnad und Jesu Blut acht ja allen Schaden gut. (“If I have done wrong today, please forgive me; your grace and the blood of Christ will blot out my sin and shame.”)

I thank God that He gave me such a good, solid foundation in my early years on which He could build the rest of my life.

When I was 9 years old, World War II broke out. Three words come to my mind about those years: hunger, cold and fear. Everything was rationed that money could buy. We were hungry all the time. Only one room, the kitchen, had heat and light; the rest of the house was dark and cold. When the air attacks began, we spent a lot of time in the bomb shelter, especially at night. The next day school was delayed for an hour. I was tired most of the time, and undernourished. My schoolwork suffered.

When I was 13 our city was nearly destroyed in an attack. It was indescribable. Our house was badly damaged, but many of our belongings were saved. We could not live there, and our family was separated. My sister Gisela and I went to a city where our school had moved, and we lived in separate homes of people who took pity on us. I was very lonely and homesick. My sister comforted me when I cried. I thank God that during this horrible time He never left or forsook me.

Why did He spare our lives during the attack when thousands were killed or badly injured? Every time I read Psalm 91 I think of that day. Were we better than they that perished? Were they worse sinners than we? No! It was by God’s grace and mercy, His will, undeserved by us. Finally the war was over and I continued my education to become a licensed kindergarten teacher. I chose that profession because I loved children. My instructor in a Christian school pointed us to 2 Corinthians 5:14a: “The love of Christ constrains us.” Martin Luther used the word dringt. There is an urgency in this, and I wanted to teach the children according to God’s Word: Proverbs 22:6 and Mark 10:13-15, where Jesus asked His disciples to suffer the children to come to Him. I taught for a couple of years and then accepted my uncle’s invitation to move to the U.S.

When I was 23 I immigrated to my new country. At first, my sister Gisela and I just wanted to stay for one year and go back home. Almost 60 years later, we are still here, after going back and forth many times.

My first job in the U.S. was with a Jewish family, caring for their three children, which was very enjoyable. When I became more fluent in English, I got a position as kindergarten and first grade teacher in a private school. I had to go back to college to earn a degree and a license to teach. In my first grade was a little boy whose mother had died when he was two years old. His older brother was in the third grade. They prayed for a new mother every night before bedtime. They had lived with their dad and grandfather after their mother’s death for five years. You guessed it—I became the answer to their prayers. God gave them a new mother, and me a wonderful, loving family. Even Grandpa was happy to have a woman in the house again. I had my work cut out for me, but enjoyed every minute of it—almost. The happiest years of my life began. Never did I dream of a man who would love and appreciate me as much as my husband did. He cherished me, told everybody what a treasure he had found. I did not think I deserved this but was so happy and thankful to receive it. I counted it God’s wonderful grace.

The two boys, then 7 and 9 years old, called me Mother from day one, and have been very good sons, accepting and respecting me. A little over a year later, God blessed us with a sweet little sister for them. She was a joy for the whole family. “All this, and heaven too,” my husband often said. He quoted the verses from Ephesians 3:14-21, especially the part that God is blessing us exceedingly abundantly above all that we can ask or think.

After the boys had grown up, Grandfather had died, and our daughter was a teenager still at home, my husband and I started a nursery school in our home. We spent many enjoyable years with these precious little children.

One evening, as I was doing some book work for my nursery school, my husband leaned over my shoulder and told me what a good job I was doing. He praised me so much for every little thing I did. Perhaps he had read in Proverbs 31:28b, “Her husband praises her.” But I did not then, or ever, measure up or even come close to the virtuous woman described in those verses. After my husband had said these kind words, he lay down on the couch in the living room and fell asleep. He had worked hard that day. I thought that sleep was better than food, and ate supper by myself. I checked on him a couple of times, surprised that I did not hear him snoring. He was in such a deep sleep it began to scare me. The verses from John 14:1-2 came to me: “Let not your heart be troubled…I go to prepare a place for you.”

Then I turned on the light and saw that he had quietly and peacefully gone to be with his Lord. I thought, his place was prepared, why not mine? I wished I could have gone with him, but that was not God’s plan for me. I also knew that my daughter still needed me.

Of course I was shocked at his sudden death, but I almost felt God’s everlasting arms holding me up physically. He gave me strength and carried me through the next days and years. He blessed me with 8 grandchildren who brought joy again into my life. Surely His grace and love have been exceedingly abundant above all I could think. To Him be the glory!

God has been so faithful to me, protected, provided and cared for me from my mother’s womb until now, and will until He will take me home. During very happy, carefree childhood days; difficult, fearful, dangerous and sad times; He was by my side. After losing my husband, He became more precious to me than a husband could ever be. Psalm 73:25 says, “Whom have I in heaven but you? There is none upon earth that I desire beside you.” There is the peace of God which passes understanding, and a joy unspeakable in my heart, knowing that God will never leave me nor forsake me.

— Waltraud Hedberg

Waltraud “Wally” Hedberg and her sister Gisela (see article, p. 6) are members of the Providence (Pittsburgh, Pa.) RPC. They are retired but are active in many ways, including sharing their testimony with women’s groups.