Sabina Wurmbrand

...was the young wife of a pastor and mother of a little boy during the Communist takeover in Romania in 1949.  At a pastor's convention, Sabina sat next to her husband as one Christian leader after the next walked onto the stage and blasphemed the name of Jesus Christ, caving to the demands of the Communist officials sitting in the front row.  Her heart began to burn within her.  She was so passionately in love with Jesus Christ and could not stand to hear such things spoken about Him by His own people.  She turned to her husband.  "Will you not wipe the spit from the face of Christ?" she asked him.  Richard pointed to the Communist officers. "If I stand up and speak against their agenda, they will kill me," he told her.  Sabina did not hesitate.  "I would rather be married to a dead man," she replied, "than to a coward."  It was the infusion of strength Richard needed.  He rose to his feet, sparked by the passion of his wife, and thunderously spoke truth in the midst of lies.

Sabina loved her husband and little boy.  But she loved Jesus even more. She was willing to lay down every bit of personal joy, happiness, and security to see his Name glorified.  The next 12 years of Sabina's life were excruciatingly difficult because of the stand she had taken that day.  Richard was imprisoned and tortured, and she had no way of knowing whether he was dead or alive.  She was thrown into prison herself for four years, her little boy forced to fend for himself on the streets.  When she was released, she was unable to buy or sell because of her status as the wife of a pastor and relied only on the kindness of others to survive.  BUt to Sabina, it was more than worth it.  No matter what hardships she faced, she never ceased to shine with joy, contentment, and Christlike beauty.  She spoke of Jesus to anyone who would listen, even at risk of her own safety.  Thousands discovered the transforming power of Christ through Sabina's incredible example of courage and devotion.  To Sabina, every night of hunger, pain and separation from her family was more than worth it.  Jesus was everything to her.  And her life was a glorious display of passionate devotion to Him at any cost.

-excerpt from Set-Apart Femininity by Leslie Ludy