Written By: George Warren
In her now classic book, The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom tells about an incident that taught her the principle of giving thanks in all things. It was during World War II. Corrie and her sister, Betsie, had been harboring Jewish people in their home, so they were arrested and finally imprisoned at Ravensbruck Concentration Camp by the Nazis.
Their barrack was extremely crowded and infested with fleas. One morning they read in their tattered Bible from 1 Thessalonians 5:18 the reminder to give thanks in all things. Betsie said to Corrie, “Corrie, we’ve got to give thanks for these barracks and even for these fleas.” Corrie replied, “No way am I going to thank God for fleas.”
But Betsie was persuasive, and they did thank God even for the fleas. During the months that followed, they found that their barrack was left relatively free, and they could do Bible study, talk openly, and even pray there. It was their only place of refuge. Several months later they learned that the guards never entered their barrack because of those blasted fleas. (Les Parrott III, “Thank God for fleas,” Rev., January-February 2001, 42.)
What would it mean for you to give thanks to God “in all things”?
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