Corrie and Betsie Ten Boom are two of my favorite women in church history. They were Dutch sisters who risked their lives to hide hundreds of Jews from the Nazis during World War II. And in her book, The Hiding Place, Corrie shares the Ten Booms’ work in the underground and their eventual raid, arrest, and imprisonment.
Some of the Ten Booms got released shortly after their arrest. But Corrie and Betsie were sent to Ravensbruck, a Nazi concentration camp in Germany.
Nazi death camps were ghastly, and the sisters lived in dreadful circumstances. One of which was sleeping in overcrowded barracks infested with biting fleas. So on their first night in Ravensbruck, Betsie asked God to show them how to live there.
Betsie then realized God had already given them the answer during their morning Bible study. It was by giving thanks in all circumstances. Corrie, however, was skeptical; what in the world could they be thankful for in a Nazi death camp? But Betsie, undeterred, started thanking God for everything about their new living conditions.
At first, Betsie gave thanks for evident graces like the sisters being imprisoned together and having a Bible. Even reticent Corrie couldn’t help but say yes and amen to that. But when Betsie began thanking God for the fleas, Corrie firmly resisted. She said, “Betsie, there is no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.” Betsie replied, “‘Give thanks in all circumstances.’ It doesn’t say, ‘in pleasant circumstances.’ Fleas are part of this place where God has put us.”
So Corrie reluctantly gave thanks for the fleas. But she was firmly convinced that Betsie was wrong, and the fleas served no purpose other than to torment them in their affliction.
Corrie could only express genuine gratitude for the silver lining, for the blessings she could see. Since she didn’t see a purpose for the fleas, she couldn’t be thankful for them.
Weeks later, the sisters discovered the fleas were indeed a blessing in disguise. The guards never entered their barracks because it was crawling with fleas! And their notable absence allowed the sisters to hold daily worship services with the other inmates.
Neither sister knew how God would use the fleas. If Corrie had known it from the start, she undoubtedly would have been quick to bow her head in gratitude when Betsie prompted her. But unlike Corrie, Betsie did not need to know God’s purpose before giving thanks. She was thankful by faith, while Corrie was thankful by sight.
And here lies a crucial lesson: giving thanks to God in all circumstances also includes the times when we don’t know the purpose for His trials. The times when we don’t have the slightest idea of what He is doing.
God doesn’t owe us an explanation for everything He does. When Job questioned Him about the cause of his misery, God didn’t tell him why. Instead, He revealed Himself to Job and showed him a glimpse of His majesty and greatness. Job likely never found out why God afflicted him, but he learned who God is, and this knowledge was enough.
We will also experience tremendous amounts of suffering, loss, and brokenness while we live in this fallen world. And like Job, we may not learn their purpose. Sometimes God will shine a light on the benefits that come from our pain, but sometimes, He will keep us in the dark. Yet we must still be abounding in thanksgiving.
When we know God is good, we don’t need to understand all He does before giving thanks.
Everything that comes from His hand is a gift. Hence, we can sincerely give thanks in all circumstances. God never afflicts us in vain. There is always a good reason for the pain, and when you can’t see what His hand is doing, trust His heart. Let us not wait till we know the purpose for the fleas but thank Him even as they bite. We must thank God even as our tears flow and our minds don’t understand. We must genuinely thank Him in any and every situation.
One glorious day, Christ will return, and what we know in part, we will know fully. As Corrie said years after her release from Ravensbruck, “Only heaven will reveal the top side of God’s tapestry.”
Until then, we must be thankful through the tears and trust that God keeps our tears in His bottle (Psalm 56:8). And very soon, He will wipe away every tear from our eyes forever (Revelation 21:4).
Are you ever burdened with a load of care?
Does the cross seem heavy you are called to bear?
Count your many blessings, ev’ry doubt will fly,
And you will be singing as the days go by
