Corrie ten Boom’s trust in God encourages me and makes it harder to excuse the places where I hold back.
During World War II, ten Boom’s family sheltered Jewish people from Nazi persecution. Corrie and her sister Betsie were eventually imprisoned at Ravensbrück, where Betsie died. Corrie survived and went on to travel, tell her story, and speak about Jesus. Tramp for the Lord, written with Jamie Buckingham, follows that life of faith and service.
Trust, generosity, and responsibility
One line captured an attitude I loved: “I would much rather be the trusting child of a rich Father, than a beggar at the door of worldly men” (p. 89).
Ten Boom’s picture is of a person who belongs to God and trusts his care. What struck me was how different that can look from the anxious pleading I had seen in churches, including churches in my own tradition, when money was short.
Trust, generosity, and stewardship belong together for me. “Stewardship” simply means taking responsible care of what has been entrusted to us. Trusting God should not mean failing to plan or being careless with money. Planning should not mean refusing to act until every uncertainty has disappeared.
If I believe God is calling me to do something, I need to understand the needs, use what I already have responsibly, and plan well. Then I need to step out in faith, trusting him to provide even when I cannot yet see how every need will be met. I love the way ten Boom lived out that combination of responsibility and trust.
The embarrassment I would rather avoid
I have struggled with trusting God for much of my life. There have been times when I believed the Holy Spirit was directing me, yet ignored it and chose my own way.
Often the obstacle was not a complicated theological question. I did not want to be embarrassed.
Ten Boom’s willingness to follow God challenged that hesitation. Her stories increased both my desire to reach people with no church background and my expectation that God would meet me when I acted in faith.
Love boldly, lead humbly
The book encouraged me to live out my own mission: to boldly love and humbly lead people into an obedient relationship with Jesus Christ.
“Obedient” can sound cold or controlling. What I mean is a relationship in which love for Jesus begins to shape our choices. I want to help people know him and respond to him, rather than simply learn the language of church.
Ten Boom made me want to be bolder about sharing the Christian message with my neighbors, more generous with what I have, and less willing to let the fear of looking foolish keep me still.
Book discussed
Corrie ten Boom with Jamie Buckingham, Tramp for the Lord (CLC Publications, 2011), Kindle edition.
Sources & further reading
A question in the margin is a good place to begin.