Solace in a book....

My heart leapt with joy today as I received the book " The Hiding Place". This book was a gift from my buddy , Vive for my birthday and I can never thank him enough. Thanks to Kuna & Cheng for taking the trouble to hand carry it from Penang to Melaka and deliver the book to me. This book is the astonishing memoirs of one great lady of Christian faith - Cornelia a.k.a Corrie Ten Boom. The first qualified lady watchmaker in Holland. Born and raised in a quiet watchmaker's family in Holland, her family had risked everything for the sake of others and for the love of Christ. Despite the dangers and threats of discovery, they offered shelter to persecuted Jews and how they themselves were caught and brought to Nazi concentration camp in Ravensbruck. Raised by a great role model in her father, Casper Ten Boom, a distinguished watchmaster with a heart of gold and an even greater compassion for people, Corrie had grown up to learn from the best in her father. Casper was a man of distinguished faith and his early Bible laying foundations on his family had led to this unprecedented love for persecuted Jews at that time.

As I read on from the first page to the very end of the book, I am overcometh with the feelings of faith, hope and trust in the Lord. However, there were times, I could related to the family's difficult times and shed tears too as I visualised what Casper, Betsie and Corrie had to go through especially during their imprisonment in Scheveningen, Vught and Ravensbruck. In many ways, the happenings can be universally felt while the problems of yesteryears are still in a problem in our society today - cruelty, wickedness, treachery, proudness and a host of other brutalities of life. The deceit and wickedness of the heart, the sufferings, the hope, the aspirations, death of loved ones, lessons of life are all still contained and circulating in our world today.

Yunno, here is a classic example of a man of faith, Casper and his three children namely Betsie, Corrie and Willem ten Boom who risked all they ever had for the sake of others , hid the Jew refugees in one section of their rooms, getting help for ration cards, sharing and surviving on the meagre meal with others and their deep compassion for others. How I wished we had more ten Booms in our generation today.

Taking an excerpt from Pg.97 of the book :

" Then he straightened. " No! Definitely not. We could lose our lives for that Jewish child!" Unseen by all of us, Father ( Casper Ten Boom ) had appeared in the doorway. " Give the child to me, Corrie," he said. Father held the baby close, his white beard brushing its cheek, looking into the little face with eyes as blue and as innocent as the baby's own. At last , he looked up at the pastor. " You say we could lose our lives for this child. I would consider that the greatest honour that could come to my family." The pastor turned sharply on his heels and walked out of the room. "

My heart was wrenched when I read Page 191 :

The guard's plump cheek went crimson. "I'll decide who's to stop" And snatching a leather crop from her belt, she slashed Betsie across the chest and neck. Without knowing I was doing it, I had seized my shovel and rushed at her. Betsie stepped in front of me before anyone had seen. " Corrie!", she pleaded, dragging my arm to my side. "Corrie! Keep working!" She tugged the shovel from my hand and dug it into the mud. Contemptuously, the guard tossed Betsie's shovel toward us. I picked it up, still in daze. A red stain appeared on Betsie's collar; a welt began to swell on her neck. Betsie saw where I was looking and laid a bird thin hand over the whip mark. " Don't look at it, Corrie. Look at Jesus only." She drew her hand away; it was sticky with blood.

What a testimony indeed! How many us would be able to respond in that way? Like I said to Vive earlier on the phone, this is the most compelling book I've ever read. I have never yearn for a book as much as I wanted this one. Somehow, the One Above just wanted me to read this one and comprehend His greatness amidst adversity, difficulties, prejudices and complacency. Mind you, this book was first published in 1972 and it is STILL being published. This is a 38 year old memoirs but the messages are still beautiful as ever. Go to the nearest Christian book store and ask for this book. If you like, you could be like Vive who searched high and low for this book as he wanted to bless me with this book. Thank you, my friend. I appreciate it and this book is really an inspiration to me. Yes, I have finished reading the book!

I leave you with this thought which are the words of Casper Ten Boom - " I will open my doors to anyone in need.........."

My question is and will always be - How many will do that? ~