Barbara Heinemann Landmann - Barbara Receives The Gift of Inspiration, 1818.

Barbara Receives The Gift of Inspiration, 1818.

After this service, Krausert dismissed Barbara, and she returned to her father's house in Hermersweiler. Shortly after her return, she felt a spiritual urge to go to Sulz. She went to the home of a trusted Sister for whom she had done washing. The Sister was happy to see her; she had been praying that God would send Barbara to her, to discuss their faith, which they did, to their mutual edification.

During this visit, Barbara felt distressed by a drive within her. The drive resolved itself into a single command: "Write!" She spoke of this command to another Sister, who had come to visit. Barbara said she did not know how to write. The visiting Sister told her to try; maybe she would be able to write down what was necessary. Barbara wrote down single letters and syllables, as best she could.

Unfortunately, no one could decipher what Barbara had written. The visiting Sister then wrote out the words that Barbara remembered. Now they could make some sense of it. It was an Einsprache, about a tree with many branches and leaves, blossoms and fruit, which Barbara did not yet understand. Barbara felt that God's will had been served. The Sister said, "I can believe that you were distressed, for now I know the cause."

Barbara took the paper home. There she felt a spiritual urge to take the paper to Bergzabern. On her arrival in Bergzabern, she discovered that she had just missed Krausert, who had proceeded to Anweiler. The next day, she caught up with him, and showed him the paper. He sent her to a Brother's house, while he read the paper to the people who were assembled with him. These people did not want to consider anything she had written. They regarded Barbara as an inferior, an uneducated country maid. They ignored Krausert, who told them that the writing was the word of the Lord, against which he could do nothing. Because of this opposition, Krausert sent Barbara back to her father's house.

Upon her return, her father sent her on an errand to Bischweiler. She was happy to go, and she stayed there for some time. On her return to Hermersweiler, a messenger came in the night and asked her to come quickly to Bergzabern. The messenger said that the people were suffering great distress because they had been so rude to her. She set out in the morning. When she arrived, the people who had rejected her now welcomed her joyously. They asked her to stay with them. During her stay, she was moved to deliver several Einsprache.

Barbara had agreed to begin working as a maid for a Sister in Bischweiler after Christmas, 1818. As Christmas approached, she told Krausert that she had to leave. Krausert told her to stay. He said that another way would be found for her to earn a living. On the first day of Christmas, Krausert presented an Aussprache in a prayer meeting. As he spoke, Barbara was powerfully seized. She felt that she could have spoken the very words that Krausert was speaking; but she resisted her promptings and uttered nothing. Krausert realized what was happening to her.

On the second day of Christmas, Krausert declared that he would be unable to attend the prayer meeting because he was ill; he retired to the next room. Now Barbara felt a force so powerful that she could resist it no longer; she delivered her first Aussprache. When Krausert heard her speaking, he entered the meeting room, immediately became inspired, and confirmed her testimony. He further testified that Barbara was released from her worldly service as maid because the Lord was taking her into His service.

Now a Werkzeug, Barbara undertook to learn how to read. The Bible was her textbook. She was happy when at last she could follow the Holy Scriptures. They made a profound impression on her; much of the language of her testimonies is that of the Bible, particularly the Old Testament.