For my Writers group homework this month, we were told to write about a women that we wanted to honour. There are many I could have chosen, but when it comes to who has impacted my life the most, Corrie Ten Boom comes to my mind. Her story, as told in her book, 'The Hiding Place', has changed my perspective on life's difficulties and ultimately, the way I pray.
When Corrie and her sister were surviving the horrors of their concentration camp, they could find little to be thankful for. For one, their camp was riddled with fleas, which caused them much discomfort and anguish. It was Betsie who reminded Corrie that the Bible instructs us to be thankful for ALL things, not just the good. So they chose to be thankful for the fleas, even though they did not understand why God would allow the infestation.
It was only after many years later that Corrie discovered that it was because of the fleas that the guards did not enter their camp, thus allowing them to conduct their prayer meetings and Bible studies undisturbed. Had their been no fleas, the guards would surely have confiscated their smuggled Bible and put a stop to them sharing the Gospel.
It is only when we can accept the bad things in our lives and choose to be thankful for it, that we will find true contentment in life. When we struggle for change and for the bad to stop, we only prolong our anguish.
We need to trust God that He has allowed ALL things for a reason, whether we understand it or not...
