Must See Sight Number Five: Corrie Ten Boom Museum

Corrie Ten Boom Museum, The Netherlands

As much as I'd like to say I am, I am not a reader. You know that part of you that wishes you were always something that you're not? Like maybe you wish you were quieter, or louder, or an astronaut for all I know! Well, I wish I was more of a reader. Not just a novel here, a magazine there, but my nose digged deep into english literature. It's so prestige and sophisticated. Is prestige the right word? Maybe if I read more my vocabulary would be better too and maybe if I stopped talking about my bad reading habits you wouldn't be so bored of reading this and wishing I would just get to the point. So I will. It takes a lot for me to get into a book. I usually give it a couple chapters but if it doesn't grab me, I'm done. But this year I read two books that I couldn't put down. That is a good sign! The first was, 'The Hiding Place' and the second, 'Tramp for the Lord'. Both written by Corrie Ten Boom. Corrie Ten Boom is a remarkable lady (1892-1983) from the Netherlands. During World War Two, her and her family hid Jews in this Harleem home to protect them from the Natzi's. They were eventually found out and were shipped to concentration camps where her father and sister died. Corrie survived. She writes about her experiences in 'The Hiding Place'. The stories she has of God's protection and provision are incredible. My favourite part of the book is when Corrie wakes up in the middle of the night and can't sleep. She hears her sister, Betsie downstairs so she goes down and they talk for a while. Corrie eventually goes back up to her room and feels for her pillow in the dark. She pulls her hand back quickly as she feels something sharp cut her hand. A piece of shrapnel had flown through her window and landed straight on her pillow right where her head would've been hadn't she been downstairs. Amazing! You must read the book! And so I would love to visit the museum where the family lived and to stand right in the rooms where these very things happened. I also think it's really neat that she was born on April 15 and died on April 15 too. April 15 happens to be my birthday as well. Here is a quote from the book. After Corrie cuts her hand she goes back downstairs to tell Betsie and this is said later in their conversation...

"There are no 'if's' in God's world. And no places that are safer than other places. The center of His will is our only safety - let us pray that we may always know it!" 

— Corrie ten Boom (The Hiding Place)


To see an interview with Corrie Ten Boom in 1974 check out this link: Corrie Ten Boom Interview


P.S.
I'd also really like to ride a bicycle while I'm in Holland!
I know you're all jealous of my photoshop skills.