Life Stories

Wake-Up Call

July 19, 2022
By Barnabas Foundation

Inside Doug and Traci’s Journey of Generosity

Just nine years ago, Traci had a rare type of heart attack called a “spontaneous coronary artery dissection.” Her arteries were pristine, but somehow, they tore.

“That was a wake-up call from the Lord,” recalls Traci. “When you have a life-changing event, God gets a hold of your heart and refocuses your priorities.”

For Traci and her husband, Doug, that “wake-up call” has resulted in a renewed, laser focus on Kingdom-oriented generosity.

The Lord prompted Traci to get involved with Good News Club, a ministry of Child Evangelism Fellowship. “That environment gave me the opportunity to grow in my faith and personally share the Gospel with students in public schools,” remembers Traci.

While serving together on medical mission trips as pharmacists, Traci and Doug saw the great need for physical resources, such as water and medical care, which opens doors for the gospel to be shared and received. This has prompted their giving to ministries like World Help, a Christian organization that serves the physical and spiritual needs of people in impoverished communities around the world.

From the early days of their marriage, Doug and Traci learned the disciplines of doing much with little. Now they consider how God wants to use them in the years to come.

“We gave what we could afford with what the Lord provided,” says Traci. “As God began to bless us increasingly every year, I started thinking, ‘What more can we do to share the Gospel?’”

Traci found her answer in Mark 16:15, which reads, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.”

This verse has prompted Traci and Doug to support special projects, such as Bible distribution, church building and Christian leaders engaged in evangelism around the world.

The Steward’s Fund (Barnabas Foundation’s donor-advised fund) provides Traci and Doug with a simple, tax-efficient way to support all their favorite ministries. They can contribute cash or other assets into a single account. Then, they can recommend distributions to their chosen charities whenever the Lord prompts them to give.

“God has repeatedly opened doors for us,” says Traci. “He opens doors for the Gospel to be shared and received.”

Traci and Doug also love to consider how God might open new doors for Kingdom impact through the next generation. This year, they’ve decided to start having annual family legacy meetings while on vacation with their children to discuss their hopes and desires for continued stewardship in the future.

“By planning to make Barnabas Foundation one of the beneficiaries of our estate, in addition to our children, we’re hoping to create a legacy of generational giving for years to come.”

Nine years after their “wake-up call,” Traci and Doug can’t help but marvel at what God has done through their transformed hearts.

“I didn’t think we would ever be able to give in this way,” says Traci. “We’ve learned to trust God and listen to His promptings on when and how to give by being in His Word. We can see God’s fingerprints and how He led us here.”