Raise your hand if you have read any Corrie ten Boom books. If you haven't raised your hand, I feel bad for you and recommend that you find one and do it fast! Her testimony is just amazing and powerful. I have recently been reading a ton of her books. When I was younger I watched "The hiding place" and to be honest...it scared me. I couldn't, and still don't, understand how the Nazis could be SO mean for no reason! I have been ordering every book that the library system has. I have read more than half of them already. Corrie ten Boom was amazing! Through Christ's strength, she saved so many souls!
Even though Corrie was in her mid forties when she was put in one of Hitlers concentration camps she was still forced to work just as hard as anyone else, and was treated just as badly. After all, these soldiers didn't care. But, to Betsie (Corrie's older sister) they were humans who were lost men and women who didn't know Christ. And to Betsie, they needed love and prayers. Corrie was just like anyone else, although she didn't feel so at first. I mean, come on! These people are killing your family, friends and possibly yourself! They are putting you in place worse than jail... all for one reason, you are a Jew, you helped a Jew, or were part Jewish. To Hitler and Hitlers men, if you had any part of the Jewish people, you were a Jew... But God was there the whole time, using this evil for good. So many people died in those concentration camps, but so many people are living because of it. They are living with God, being rewarded for their faith in Him.
Because of where Betsie and Corrie, were they were able to spread the gospel so much more. Even in a 3 step wide and 9 step across cell, Corrie was able to make a small hole in the wall so she could tell the people on the other side of the wall about Christ. Corrie never gave up, and she always had Betsie there to encourage and pray with, until... she found out Betsie had died. She felt so scared...then just 10 days after Betsie died, Corrie was let out of the prison. She didn't know why, and she never found out. The only things she did find out was, she was let go before just a few days before all the women her age were gassed.. When Corrie found that out she felt so bad for all those other women! But, she knew it was all part of God's plan. Then the second thing she learned was that Betsie wasn't going to be let out. Corrie would have had to walk out of that prison, that death camp, and leave her sister there! She praised God for taking Betsie home when He did.
Because of where Betsie and Corrie, were they were able to spread the gospel so much more. Even in a 3 step wide and 9 step across cell, Corrie was able to make a small hole in the wall so she could tell the people on the other side of the wall about Christ. Corrie never gave up, and she always had Betsie there to encourage and pray with, until... she found out Betsie had died. She felt so scared...then just 10 days after Betsie died, Corrie was let out of the prison. She didn't know why, and she never found out. The only things she did find out was, she was let go before just a few days before all the women her age were gassed.. When Corrie found that out she felt so bad for all those other women! But, she knew it was all part of God's plan. Then the second thing she learned was that Betsie wasn't going to be let out. Corrie would have had to walk out of that prison, that death camp, and leave her sister there! She praised God for taking Betsie home when He did.
Corrie traveled over the whole world. She didn't stop until it was impossible for her to move and when she was too ill to move, she wrote all of the precious books that I have been reading lately. She wrote when she was tired, but you would never know it! She took her life and wrote it down for the glory of God. As you read her books, you will see that she struggled too. There were times that she didn't want to be a tramp for The Lord. She had times that she was tired, that she couldn't move anymore and didn't feel like speaking. I know that God loves Corrie! He gave her strength that only He could do. He knew she was human, and that she got tired. Even in her old age she was still learning, still falling down asking Him to help her up again. Corrie never forsook God. She loved Him so much that He was as real as the person in the other room. Her life is a example for all of us!
Love in Christ,
Julia Ryan
Julia, this is amazing! Yes, Corrie ten Boom was and still is so inspiring! How could God shine so brightly through this "Stubborn Dutch woman", as she'd say? I'm so grateful that Jesus put her books and sermons on my path... They came to me at the perfect time, and through them and the Word He worked so beautiful in my heart! :) I loved this post, thank you for writing it! I am looking forward to more "biographies" on God's children!!
ReplyDeleteIn all sisterly love,
-Noémie
Yes! God is so amazing to work through a stubborn person.. which makes it nice to know that He can work though me! :D I have not heard of any of her sermons. I'm sure they are very good! Yes, I will have to start a monthly series on ladies in history! :D ♥
DeleteMy hand is up! Her books are so encouraging her life is just so amazing.
ReplyDeleteHi Clare,
DeleteI'm so glad that your hand is up! I agree, her way of writing is so beautiful, yet to the point! :D
Such an inspiring story! I love Corrie Ten Boom! In our children's church when I was little, I remember we did a play about her. The teacher picked me as Corrie! I was thrilled! She is amazing! I am so glad God put people like that in our lives! Through their triumphs and failures we learn so much about Gods love and how to respect Him more! Love the quotes, Julia! They are so inspiring! My mom has a quote of hers hanging in our entryway. "Don't be afraid to trust an unknown future to an know God." Thanks so much for the reminder!
ReplyDelete~Grace~
Aww! I would have loved to see that play! Did you do a good job? :D I saw that quote as well, and I loved it! But, I didn't want to do many pictures. :D
DeleteI love Corrie Ten Boom! She is one of my biggest role models! Excellent post! One of my favorite quotes by her is (not exactly sure on the wording, but pretty close) Christianity is like riding a train. When it goes through a tunnel, you don't throw away your ticket and jump off! You sit back and trust the engineer." Wow, is that powerful! =D
ReplyDelete~J.
She is one of my biggest role models as well! Haha! I love that quote. It sounds just like her from all the books I read. She is very good at making the Bible understandable for all ages and she always gets right to the point, without being rude! :D ♥
DeleteI have no idea if I did a good job! Probably not, I am not a good actress:D Ha ha! I was just 7 years old, but I really remember getting picked =)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure you did a great job! :D When I was little my older sister, some friends and I(with our parents of course), put on a Christmas play. It was great fun! Though I only got to be a little lamb.. :P Hehe! My grandpa filmed it on our video camera and we still have it to this day. It will always be a memory I will carry with me for the rest of my life. ♥
DeleteJulia,
ReplyDeleteI know that I'm awful late in reading this, but I still want you to know that this blog post is beautiful! We need to be talking about Corrie much more than we actually do. Her life is such a witness! I often struggled with the horibble way Christ's children havebeen treated in the world and why God would allow that to happen when He had the power to end it! But you know, Corrie Ten Boom's life shows us about the sovreinty of our Lord's plan. Sufffering for His name is a joy!
God Bless and keep up the good blog work Julia!
-Julia L.