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Couple Loves to Be a Blessing to Others

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Jack and Gena Bradford of Spokane, Washington, love blessing others the way God has blessed them.

Jack says: "Reciprocity is basically God's nature. He's a God who wants to bless. He calls us to bless. And as we bless, He gives us more opportunities to bless more."

They first learned about the "Law of Reciprocity" from Pat Robertson's teaching on The 700 Club. 

Gena says: "Every time I would watch CBN, I would trust in his (Pat Robertson's) heart.... his heart was good. He (Pat Robertson) was wise."

Jack recalls: "Seeing other couples that were going through hard times, we could identify with that."

Jack worked as a counselor with the Washington State Department of Corrections. Gena ran a daycare in their home for extra money. Their family of six was barely surviving on their $2100 a month income.

Gena remembers: "I was trying to provide groceries for $20 a week for the family. That's what I had, $20 a week. And I would go up and down the aisle of the store of all the things I knew I couldn't buy. So, it was a lot of potatoes, a lot of beans."

Since they lived paycheck to paycheck with no savings, they were terrified at the thought of tithing. 

Gena said: "The biggest part of it for us was a trust issue. Would God really provide?"

After two years of watching The 700 Club, Jack and Gena took a chance. They tithed to their church and gave to CBN. That's when they say they started to see God provide for their family. First, Gena was awarded a full-ride college scholarship to complete her Bachelor's degree and became a teacher. She went on to get her Master’s and, with it, a substantial wage increase.

Gena recalls: "We were flourishing. It wasn't steak every night, but it was still a wonderful increase for the family. The fear was leaving. The fear of not having enough was leaving."

Then Gena had a health crisis that forced her to quit her job. That meant they would be without a second income.

Gena remembers: "I went to the Lord and just told Him, 'I don't know what to do?' But the Lord spoke to me very clearly, and He said, 'Gena, I want to take care of you.'"

Almost immediately, God provided. Jack received a promotion and three pay increases over the next year.

Jack remembers: "It was just God's way of speaking to me. 'Jack, I'm going to provide; don't-don't worry about it.'"

A few years later, Gena recovered and returned to teaching as an adjunct professor and student-teacher supervisor at a local University. Since then, Jack and Gena have continued to support The 700 Club by becoming CBN Thousand Club members.

Gena says: "You can trust CBN. You can trust that they're going to take your money and invest it wisely. They're going to invest it in people."

Jack says: "We know that when a big tornado rips through the south...Operation Blessing is going to be there...we know that when people need medical care...their needs are going to be met by CBN."

Jack and Gena are now retired—and continuing to bless others through their giving.

Summing it all up, Jack says: "God is completely trustworthy. He's good...And I can't trust anyone else like I can trust Him to direct my life."

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