Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1Thesselonians 5:18
Be thankful. In all circumstances. Can you imagine being thankful when packed with thousands of others in a suffocating crowd? Dirty, smelly bodies? What if you were required to sleep on a flea- and lice-infested, moldy, filthy mat? Could you be thankful? Read on to see 1 Thesselonians 5:18 lived out in a very real way.
The first historical fiction novel I read set during World War II was The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah. There seems to be no end to books set in this particularly disturbing time in history, and I run across new ones every day on Goodreads. Regardless of whether the story is from the viewpoint of a character or characters who took part in the resistance and/or suffered in German concentration camps, it’s a topic heavy enough to stay with me for months afterward. I love historical fiction, but World War II is not a time period to which I gravitate. I’m always left in a funk—much like I am when watching or reading too much news these days.
But how I’ve managed to live more than twenty years as a Christian and not read Corrie ten Boom’s autobiographical depiction of her and her family’s ministry during World War II in Holland is a mystery. The Hiding Place may not be as theologically deep as Bonhoffer: Pastor, Martyr, Prophet, Spy by Eric Metaxas, but it will leave you questioning the depth of your own faith and convictions in our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I know it did me.
The book, co-written with John and Elizabeth Sherrill, is told in a first-person, story-like structure that is easy to read and, for me, difficult to put down. In fact, it kept me up until the wee hours yesterday morning finishing the second half of it. I tend to read much more fiction than non-fiction, but this book has left me wanting to dig more fully into other works that will challenge not only my faith but also give me a perspective of gratitude, humbleness, and inspiration.
The work the Lord put on the hearts of Casper ten Boom, his wife and four children was started long before World War II. Every morning before beginning their day and every evening before going to bed, Casper read aloud from the Bible. The family of clock makers had little, yet never held back from giving everything of themselves, financially, emotionally, and spiritually, to those in need. It reminds me of the widow’s offering in Mark 12:41-44—Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.
Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on” (NIV).
This was how the ten Booms lived from the time Corrie could remember. Her mother, a sickly woman, committed her life to serving those in need—even though they often had nothing themselves. Corrie, her sisters, Betsie and Nollie, her brother Willem, and her aunts were devoted to obeying the Lord at all cost—including their very lives. They saved over 800 Jews during the German occupation in Holland before being caught and imprisoned in concentration camps. And although you need only to Google Corrie ten Boom’s name to see an endless list of inspirational quotes, it was her sister Betsie who was the real hero in their story—a demure, grace-filled woman who never lost the conviction that those who abused them with such evil in their hearts didn’t need their condemnation but their prayers to minister to the depth of their loss as non-believers.
Whether you’re a fan of historical non-fiction or not, every believer should read this book. If you allow it to minister your soul, it will leave you humbled and convicted—which is always a good thing in this life-long walk with Jesus.
