Give thanks in all circumstances

Earlier this summer, I read The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom.  I have been telling everyone I can about it… so I thought I should share its wonderfulness with all of you.  All I can say is that this is one of the most touching books I have ever read.   Corrie ten Boom has the most amazing and steadfast faith.  Seriously.  In essence, it is the story of how Corrie and her sister, Bessie (both unmarried and elderly), are part of the Dutch underground during the Holocaust.  Eventually, they are found out and the family is arrested and taken to prison in Germany.   The circumstances that Corrie lives through are more than I could ever imagine, yet she remains faithful to God and joyful through it all.  One of the passages that I liked the most was when Bessie tells Corrie (while in the German prison) that they must be thankful for everything, as we are told to give thanks in all things.  Corrie wonders aloud if they are to be thankful for the fleas, and Bessie tells her that, yes, they must be thankful even for the fleas.  Later, we find out that the only privacy the prisoners ever receive is in one certain room that the German wardens refuse to enter.  Why do they refuse to enter? Because of the fleas inside! Wow.  So be thankful, even for the fleas.  So if you have never read it, go read it.  I cannot recommend it highly enough. 

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. – 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Joyfully yours,

Danielle