The ten Boom family
Most of you probably already know the story of Corrie ten Boom as she tells it in her eye witness account of the holocaust, The Hiding Place. Corrie and her sister Betsie were seperated from their family, dragged from their little home in Holland, watched as their elderly fatherwas brutally murdered, and endured the horrors of one of the Nazi concentration camps. Betsie, who was already in weak health, struggled even more than Corrie did physically. She eventually died in the camp after months and months of unimaginable suffering.
Do you know why?
Corrie, Betsie and their father were a modest, Christian, happy family in Haarlem when the effects of the German invasions drove them to make a serious decision. They were not Jewish, so they weren't in the most danger yet, but the ten Boom family made a choice. They chose to sacrifice.
Through several years before being taken prisoner, the ten Boom's opened up their home to the most desperate people. They DAILY put everything they had, even their own lives at risk to serve the Lord. Without hesitation, this FAMILY of God gave up their present comfort and future (earthly) security and learned what it means to RELY upon God.
Even while in the concentration camp, Betsie's forgiving heart would actually weep and pray not just for the prisoners, but for their Nazi oppressors. Before her death, Betsie had a two visions. Her vision was of hope, and forgiveness and redemption. Betsie had a vision of a concentration camp that was transformed into a home and place of restoration for the Nazi soldiers to recover. She also had a vision of a beautiful house to be a renewing and healing place for the holocaust victims. Betsie died in the concentration camp. The last words that she spoke that Corrie heard were "....so much work to do...."
It was Corrie, in the pain and struggle and grief that followed the war, who was entrusted and empowered by the Lord to make these visions become a reality. Not on her own strength but on His. The Lord blessed Betsie with Hope and the foresight to see where the need was, and He blessed Corrie with the strength and the tools of see it fulfilled.
Sometimes, it is so hard to balance both of those things. We are either inspired with a burst of imagination and ideas from the Spirit of ways to help or things to do, but we lack the courage or diligence to trust the Lord to use us to carry them out. Or we are filled with a passion and a zeal to act for the Lord, but doubt where we should begin.
God gave Corrie and Betsie the strength, courage, hope, and ability to do what He had called them to do day by day, and we are still experiencing the blessing of their ministry and hearing the Hope of the Gospel that they helped to spread to the people who it was hardest to love. If the Lord can enable people like Corrie and Betsie ten Boom to forgive the ones who cruelly oppressed and in Betsie's case even killed them, can He not enable the church to rise up to plead the cause of the orphans and widows? We don't have to rely on our own strength or our own vision. Because like He did to Corrie and Betsie, the Lord will give us both. Wait on Him. His plan never fails and His love never ends.
The ten Boom house/watch shop in Haarlem
Corrie ten Boom
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