Just recently...

I have taken an interest in the life of Corrie Ten Boom. For the last month I have read two of her books "The Hiding Place" and "Tramp for the Lord." 

If you know me, I have a terribly hard time comprehending any book that I read. But these books were written for a brain like mine. Simple. Her life full of tragedy and persecution but all had been overcome with the Holy Spirit and her faith in God's promises. Her books are about her failures and God's successes in her life. And never once does she try to take even a sliver of the glory that God deserves. Her life is absolutely amazing... from her childhood (always involved in ministry with her family with soldiers, missionary kids, etc) to her 8th decade of life! 

In my last post, I mentioned how God has been using her life to teach me a few things. But after finishing her last book, there is more. During both reads, I could hear the Lord speaking to me oh so softly about these things:

1. Prayer. It's more important than I could ever imagine. It is my hotline. My access to Him. It's a blessing. It reminds me of the hope I have when I am hopeless... reminding me, it's not my burden. He is the ONE PERSON I can count on to ALWAYS be present, ALWAYS be listening, and ALWAYS be attentive. (There is nothing worse than talking to someone and you can tell they are half listening. But not Him.) Communication is important to Him which makes it important to me. Prayer is something I want to begin getting more comfortable and consistent with. 

2. Repentance. I have never liked this word. I have grown up in the church my whole life. I have been a believer of Christ since I was 8 years old and have walked with Him since. OF COURSE, I have gone astray. (I am human, people.) I have also never truly understood repentance. Through out the years, I have grasped small parts of repentance. At first I believed, it was just about the apology and FEELING the guilt of my sin. Obviously this is a very immature way of seeing it. But this is also a very common way of seeing repentance. Through bible college, I learned repentance had nothing to do with FEELING guilt- this was not the point of repenting. When Christ died for all of our sins, He took that guilt... so give it up. But repentance had to do with a change of mind and behavior. I believe this as well. But after reading her experience through repentance, it's a combination of all: apologizing for the sin and asking for forgiveness of that sin... and asking for the Holy Spirit to help change your focus and behavior. Repentance is reconciliation and dependence. And it's the best place to be. 

3. His Word. Be in it. Get to know it. One of my favorite quotes from the book "Tramp for the Lord," 

'It is the same with the Book. If you try to analyze it as a book of science or even a book of theology, you cannot be nourished by  it. Like chocolate, it is to be eaten and enjoyed, not picked apart bit by bit.' 

I spent two of my years (college) going to a Bible Institute. It was a great experience. But where I struggled most was the Bible was always being picked at. You know, phrase by phrase.. words and their definitions. I knew a lot... but I had and still struggle with applying all I had learned. For two years, it felt that I had analyzed it all... and now that I have to apply it I am lost. I think Corrie can be misinterpreted in this quote. I believe she is saying depend on the Holy Spirit to teach you through His Word. You don't need to be a slave to theology... but practice what you read. Be refueled, refocused, and refreshed in His Word daily. I believe there is struggle in passages but you should enjoy the Word before you get frustrated in the Word. I am FINALLY learning to enjoy the Word again. 

4. Forgiveness. A few years after Corrie was out of the German concentration camps, she was speaking at a church in Germany (I believe?) about forgiveness... and a man came up to her after she was finished. This man was no ordinary man off the street. But he was the man who had seen her naked in the showers, rejected her sister's illness to be seen by a doctor, and much more... it was the German officer at the camp she was at. He had become a Christian and knew that God had forgiven Him but needed to ask Corrie to forgive him. She said she didn't want to do it. She struggled to reach her hand out in forgiveness with a cold bitter heart. She prayed, asking Christ for help, depending on the Spirit to soften her heart to him and forgive him. As she did that her handed grabbed his, tears down her face acknowledging him as her brother and forgiving him for all the pain he had caused in her life. I like her quote about forgiveness as well:

'But forgiveness is not an emotion- I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart.'

Well, I just loved her books and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a life to learn from. She is great and she is definitely a woman that loves God that I would look to as an example. I wish she was around to mentor me in all my many more years...!

What have you read lately?? :)

By the way, fun news! My husband just placed 12th out of over 70 people in a road bike race today!! Way to go baby!! :)

And everyone say hi to baby emma-elizabeth!!