Book Review

I cannot believe it has taken me this long to read this book.  To think that I am approaching my 47th birthday in January and I have never read this Christian classic.  I have made it a habit ever since having children that we have a family read aloud before bed every night after family devotionals.  This is on top of other books I read to them during school times.  We just finished this wonderful book.  If you have not already read it, I urge you to do so.  It is the heart wrenching story of the Ten Boom family, Christians caught up in the setting of WWII who take up the dangerous cause of hiding Jews from the Gestapo.  Knowing the danger they are in, they continue to make the selfless decision to hide and help God's chosen people.  It is a beautiful story of self-sacrifice.  But, it goes even farther than this.  It is the story of a family who is caught, sent to prison and then, some of them, on to an extermination camp.  It is the story of childlike simple faith in a God who works all things for our good.  God's overwhelming Hand can be seen throughout every page.  I was especially convicted by Betsie Ten Boom's thankfulness in all situations.  She is a shining example of taking from God's Hand all that He gives with gratitude.  There is even a time when she is in a camp that is riddled with disease and fleas and she even thanks God for the fleas!  We find later that even God uses the fleas for her good.  One of my favorite quotes from Betsie is,"...tell people what we have learned here.  We must tell them that there is no pit so deep that He is not deeper still.  They will listen to us, Corrie, because we have been here."  These women were heavenly minded!  It has encouraged me to be more heavenly minded as well.