We’re going to tell you about Corrie Ten Boom, who was a Dutch

woman who was born in 1892. She lived in the city of Haarlem in a

funny-shaped house called the Beje,which is spelt B-E-J-E.

     Her father’s name was Casper. He ran a watch shop downstairs in

the house. He was a very gentle person who led devotions each day

with his family from the Bible. He looked like a patriarch with his

long beard.

     Corrie’s mother showed love by visiting with the sick, and making

pots of soup, and always sewing things. When she had a stroke she lay

in bed unconscious for two months. After the stroke she was able to

say only three words, which were “Yes” and “No” and “Corrie”. One

would communicate with her by asking her questions requiring those

words for answers. She still showed love. One month before she died,

she went to church and was miraculously able to sing all the words to

Fairest Lord Jesus, while her daughters were afraid to turn around and

look at her.

     Corrie’s oldest sister Betsie never married. She was sickly. She had

a radiant look. Corrie worked with retarded children, and many foster

children lived in the house. Once when she was a very little girl, Corrie

was afraid of the future. Her father asked her a question: “Corrie,when

you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you the ticket?”

     “Why, just before we get on the train.” she answered.

     “Yes,” he said, “and our wise Father in Heaven knows when we’re

going to need things also. When the time comes, you will find the

strength you need just in time.”

     Years passed. Now the Dutch wanted to remain neutral in World

War II. But Germany invaded them. After five days the Queen fled

to England and they surrendered. The horror began slowly: a rock

thrown through the window of a Jewish store, an obscenity written

on a synagogue wall. But then a sign in a shop window said: “JEWS

WILL NOT BE SERVED!” And a sign in the park said: “NO JEWS

ALLOWED!” And a restaurant. And a theater. And a concert hall.

The Jews walked through the streets wearing yellow stars.

     One morning in November 1941 four German soldiers led Mr.

Weil out of his shop at gunpoint. They broke his windows and took

all his merchandise. They threw his clothes in the street. Corrie led

him across the street to her house. He was dazed.

     Corrie ran errands for the Jewish merchants who wouldn’t go out

onto the streets. Once she visited a Jewish doctor and his wife and two

children. At any moment there could be soldiers at the door. “Lord

Jesus,” she said, “I offer myself for your people, in any way, any place,

any time!” As she prayed this she had a vision. It was as real as you are

in this room now: four black horses led her family and friends through

the center of town and away, far away. And she saw that same vision on

the day the Germans invaded.

     So Corrie and Betsie and her aged father hid many Jews in their house.

The Underground built a little room with a false wall for them to hide in

if the police came. Mrs. Kleermaker stayed in the house. Harry de Vries

stayed there for awhile with his gentile wife, Cato. He was later captured

captured captured. Meyer Mossel taught the family Hebrew while he

stayed with them. He had been a cantor in the synagogue in Amsterdam.

And there were many others. This went on for two years.

     One day a man walked in the shop and told Corrie that he and his wife

were Jewish and needed 600 guilders to bribe a policeman. Corrie said

she would get the money. But he was an informer.

     (SOUND OF KNOCKING)

     “Where are the Jews?”

     “There aren’t any Jews here.”

     (SLAPPING SOUND)

     “Where do you hide the ration cards?”

     “I don’t know what you’re...

     (MORE SLAPS)

     ...Oh!”    

     “Where are the Jews? Where is you’re secret room?”

     “Lord Jesus, protect me.”

     If you say that name again I’ll kill you!”

     The whole family was arrested. Through the center of town on a bus

away, far away. Just like the vision. Just like the vision. They were

\taken to a prison in the Hague. Corrie’s father died after eight days.

“God bless you, my daughters.” Corrie was taken from her cell and put

in solitary because she was sick. Her blanket was covered with vomit.

The wind was howling. The light bulb went out. Her fever was worse.

Alone alone alone alone alone alone alone. Thoughts were enemies.

Where were they all? Nobody talked. She sang on her birthday.

     “Silence!”

     On the floor there were some ants friends crawling friends in the

corner friends, friends, friends. After three months Corrie had her

first hearing.

     Corrie and her sister were transferred to a prison camp for political

prisoners in southern Holland. On arrival a man was led out from

a bunker the size of a gym locker, with his hands tied over his head.

He had no conscious control over his legs. Too much cruelty to bear!

“Heavenly Father, carry it for me!” From the men’s section you could

often hear the sound of the firing squad. On September first a woman

prisoner in Barracks 86 gave birth to a baby girl. The child lived four

hours. The Allies were getting close to where the prison was, so some

of the prisoners were executed, and the rest were put on trains, into

Germany!

     They arrived at Ravensbruck, the women’s concentration camp.

“The night is dark, and I am far from home.” Betsie sang. Four

miracles occurred at Ravensbruck. The first was that though all the

other women were searched several times in line, no one touched

Corrie and she got in with her Bible. “Move along! You’re holding

up the line!” The second miracle was that her vitamin bottle never

became empty. but supplied many of the nearly starving prisoners.

Corrie held it up to the light, but she couldn’t see through the dark

glass. The bottle only quit giving drops on the very day some new

vitamins were smuggled into the barracks. The third miracle was the

fleas. Betsie had thanked God for everything, including the fleas. This

made Corrie mad, but later she realized that the guards never entered

the barracks for fear of the fleas.

     And so they held little worship services without being disturbed.

Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Many who were soon to die heard his voice.

Magnificat anima mea Dominum. The cursing and the fighting and

the screaming in desperation by the prisoners gave way to calmness

and compassion. Magnificat anima mea Dominum. Elohim! Elohim!

Elohim! Elohim! Elohim!

      “Schneller!”

     Betsie was took weak to shovel much.

     “Schneller!” the guard screamed. “Look what her majesty is carrying!

Surely she will over-exert herself!”

The guard mimicked Betsie’s faltering steps and there was laughter.

     Betsie laughed too. “That’s me, all right,” she said sweetly, “but you

better let me totter along with my little spoonful, or I’ll have to stop

altogether.”

     “I’ll decide who’s to stop!” the guard shouted, and hit her across the

face with her belt.

     Corrie was about to go after the guard with her shovel but Betsie

caught her in time. Betsie’s face was bleeding. “Don’t look at it,

Corrie,”  Betsie whispered, “look at Jesus only.” Everything in the

world everything in the world everything in the world. Don’t look at

it, look at Jesus only. Betsie developed a high fever. She was dying.

“Corrie, come look!” another prisoner whispered. Betsie’s face was

not hollow or wrinkled. Betsie’s face was peaceful and radiant. She had actually succeeded in looking only at Jesus. Everything else was gone.

From the cross the Lord of Life cried in triumph!

     Corrie was alone now. Corrie wanted to take her sister’s sweater.

     “Don’t touch those things. Black lice, They’ll all be burned.” Corrie

fought within. She prayed:

                          “Teach me, Lord, to bear the burden,

                         In this dark and weary day.

                         Let me not complain to others

                         Of a hard and lonely way.

  

                          Every storm to Thee is subject:

                          Storms of earth, or mind and heart.

                          Only to Thy will submitting

                          Can to me Thy peace impart.

                          So to suffer, so keep silence,

                          So be yielded to Thy will,

                          So in weakness learn Thy power,

                         Teach me, Father, teach me still.

                                                   Amen.”

     On December 28, 1944 Corrie ten Boom was released from

Ravensbruck. She found out years later that this was a clerical error,

and that all the women her age were gassed two weeks after she was

released. After the war, she opened homes and camps for war refugees,

including Germans, as her sister Betsie had envisioned. During the

many remaining years of her life, she addressed philosophy students,

patients in hospitals, school children, and prisoners condemned to death.

She toured most of the world, speaking to people of all nations.

     In 1947 Corrie ten Boom was preaching in Munich. A balding heav

-set man in a gray overcoat came up afterwards to shake her hand. She

recognized him at once. He had been a guard at Ravensbruck, one of

the most cruel guards. She and her sister had walked naked past this man.

How could she now shake his hand?

     “A fine message, Fraulein! How good it is to know that, as you say,

all our sins are at the bottom of the sea. You mentioned Ravensbruck

in your talk. I was a guard there. But since that time, I have become

a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did

there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well. Fraulein, will

you forgive me?”

     She stood there with coldness in her heart. Forgiveness is not an

emotion. Forgiveness is an act of the will. “Jesus, help me.” she prayed

silently. “I can take his hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.”

     Stiffly she thrust her hand into his. And as she did a remarkable thing

took place: a current started in her shoulder, moved down her arm, sprang

into their joined hands. And then a healing warmth seemed to flood her

whole being, bringing tears to her eyes:

     “I forgive you... I forgive you... I forgive you... I forgive you...

I forgive you... I forgive you... I forgive you with all my heart!”