Yesterday was International Holocaust Remembrance Day. Corrie Ten Boom, as you know, is the source of many of my favorite quotes. She experienced miracles big and small during her time in a concentration camp. She wrote these words:
"If you look at the world you'll be distressed. If you look within you'll be depressed. If you look at God, you'll be at rest." -Corrie Ten Boom
The world around her provided nothing but distress. She chose to be a comfort to others. When her own thoughts and circumstances might have sunk her into a deep depression, she looked to God and found rest. I cannot begin to fathom all that was endured.
The Bible she managed to smuggle into the concentration camp fed them hope and comfort on the hardest of days. It was one of the first miracles she and her sister, Betsy, experienced. That Bible was their lifeline. She shared its truth and hope with those around her.
This is one of the passages she shared often and they held it deep in their souls:
"And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone. Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." -1 Thessalonians 5:14-18
In the midst of a living hell, they chose kindness, prayer, rejoicing, and thankfulness. How? They looked to God and not within. She was not idle, even in a prison camp. She found her purpose in helping those around them. Her presence and calm comforted others. They gave thanks in all things.
I am grateful for the words she penned and shared for the rest of her life. Her wisdom is precious and priceless.
Today, I am grateful for Holocaust Remembrance Day.
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