I’ll never forget Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland. A group of us were in Poland on a ministry trip and wanted to make sure we toured this concentration camp. Even the weather that day had a cold and cruel feel to it. As we walked below the infamous sign “Arbeit macht frei”, my emotions must have frozen in time. I couldn’t fathom the atrocities I saw and heard about that day. I wanted to cry a thousand tears, but I couldn’t. As we finished the tour, we left in silence. I’m not sure how long it was before I uttered a word.
Over the years, I’ve heard amazing stories of how people risked their lives by hiding Jews from the Nazis. One such family was the Ten Boom family who were owners of a family watch and repair business. Casper, the elderly father, lived with his unmarried daughters Corrie and Betsie. The family had strong Christian beliefs and felt obligated to help their Jewish friends in every way possible. Eventually, the watch shop was raided and the entire family arrested along their employees.
Both Corrie and Betsie were shipped by train to Germany and imprisoned at Ravensbruck, another concentration camp. It was there that the sisters used a hidden Bible to teach their fellow prisoners about Jesus. These two women chose to give hope to others even as they were surrounded by hatred and misery. (For a great read, check out: The Hiding Place, by Corrie Ten Boom)
Corrie Ten Boom endured such evil, even seeing her family die in an awful concentration camp. Years later, after her release, she tells the story of coming in contact with one of the most brutal prison guards and extending forgiveness to him.
Though we will never walk Ten Boom’s journey, we will go through our own trials and hardships that will shake us to the core. I’m challenged by how she lived her faith and asked myself these very questions:
1. Do I live, breath and practice forgiveness to those who have wronged me? Do I seek restoration of broken relationships? Do I inwardly judge people who whom are different than me or choose to freely love?
2. Do I believe God can walk with me through ANYTHING? Do I play it safe, seeking to control, or freely take risks, giving God control?
3. Do I freely share my spiritual journey with others? (There were times when Corrie struggled to pray and couldn’t pray. It was during those times she relied on her sister, who even prayed for the German soldiers!) Don’t go it alone! Ask for prayer!
4. How do I let worry paralyze me?
Take time to prayerfully consider these questions for yourself. May God use Corrie Ten Boom's life to challenge you to live boldly, with God at your side!
“You are my refuge and my shield; I have put my hope in your word.” Psalm 119:114
“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” Corrie Ten Boom
“Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.” Corrie Ten Boom
“There are no ‘if’s’ in God’s world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety- let us pray that we may always know it.” Corrie Ten Boom
Nancy Abbott is the Chaplain for the YMCA of Greater San Antonio.
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