I wish I could remember the exact statistic and where I heard it or read it. I have no trouble whatsoever accepting what I recall, though, because of what so many people have told me around the country.

I believe it is true that fewer than 10 percent of us “testify” to our children. I think we assume they know what is in our hearts. But too often, they really do not know what we’ve experienced with God and how we feel about him. Somehow, and perhaps my personality had something to do with it, I thought to tell our daughters quite a bit. I’m so glad.

Each of my daughters on separate occasions during their high school years called me into their rooms to tell me something they knew would mean so much to me. They said they would tell their children what they had come to know about the Lord and how much they love him. They believe so many young people leave the church because they don’t see well enough the relevancy and beauty of Jesus and God’s written word. Our testimony can make a difference.

We can testify in many different ways. One of the easiest is to read the word in an age appropriate and significant way with them and then react to the word in meaningful application for our current situation. You can do the same thing with the Word in other mediums. Today very young children can be exposed to God’s Word in videos like the Veggie Tales series. There are videos available for older children as well.

I’ve also bought Christian music videos for our older grandson. They powerfully proclaim the word in moving and memorable ways.

Praying with our children also is a way to testify. Their hearing our praise, confession and petition leads them into those areas as well.

But when I think of testifying, I think mainly of telling of our personal experience with God. Our girls were deeply affected by the legacy of their grandparents’ conversion. This is one of the stories we tell often, reminding ourselves of what it means when we have Christ in our lives and when we don’t.

My dad’s favorite song begins: “Years I spent in vanity and pride, caring not my Lord was crucified, knowing not if was for me He died-on Calvary.“ I’ve seen him throw his head back and sing that song with such gusto. I know how much he believes it: “Mercy there was great and grace was free. Pardon there was multiplied to me. There my burdened soul found liberty-at Calvary.“ This song is his testimony.

Mom’s is simpler: “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me.“

I always say the church didn’t find my parents; my parents found the church. They were desperate, and somewhere along the way, they had heard of the grace of God. So when I was nine, my parents accepted Jesus, and amazing grace transformed their burdened souls.

And we children were never again left with a baby sitter on Friday evenings, standing at the window late, late at night waiting for them to come in from “partying.“ Never again did we lie in our beds hearing them scream jealous accusations at one another. Never did we find Dad “Passed out” at a dirty kitchen table or see him standing slump-shouldered and sad in front of the dining room sideboard with the word “divorce” on his lips. Never again did we see despair.

They were truly converted. Jesus was their love and their Lord. The old ways of doing and thinking were replaced by new. They sobbed when they came down the aisle to accept Christ, for it began at that moment and has continued for forty years—their celebration of Calvary and amazing grace.

There are other kinds of testimony. Next week I’ll discuss some of them before moving on. Meanwhile, what has God been doing for you or showing you lately? I hope you’ll find a way to tell someone.