living the dream: my life is but a weaving

My life is but a weaving

between my God and me,

I do not choose the colours,

He works so steadily,

Oft times He weaves in sorrow,

and I in foolish pride,

Forget He sees the upper,

and I the underside.

Not till the loom is silent,

and the shuttle cease to fly,

Will God unroll the canvas,

and explain the reason why.

The dark threads are as needful

in the Weavers skillful hand,

As the threads of gold and silver

in the pattern He has planned.

handkerchief embroidered by Corrie ten Boom

I would have to say that the most poignent moment of our travels happened when we stopped in at the Corrie ten Boom House in Haarlem. I have to admit that two weeks before our trip to the Netherlands, I didn't really even know who she was. Sure, I had heard of her name. I had even heard of her most famous book, The Hiding Place, but that was the extent of things. I wanted to read some Dutch literature before our trip, so I quickly purchased the e-book and started reading.

I couldn't put the book down.

I wanted to learn more. With the helpful advice of my cousin, we decided to visit the home of Miss ten Boom. It was a visit that I will never forget.

Why, you might ask?

It wasn't because of the fancy artwork or amazing architecture in their mis-matched and pieced together home, but because of the story that we learned while sitting in the ten Boom living room. It is a story of a small family that lived their lives completely based on faith, and because of that faith (and a lot of courage) they were able to help save Jewish refugees fleeing German occupation and imprisonment during WWII, even at the cost of some of their own lives. It is estimated that they saved the lives of about 800 Jews plus members of the Dutch resistance.

I don't want to say more, because I hope that you will read the book. Please. Look for their examples of faith such as the time that Corrie needed ration cards to buy food and prayed for guidance. The answers always came.

Just like they do in our lives, if we listen.

After the war, Corrie often spoke about her experiences. At the end of the talk, she would read Grant Colfax Tullar's poem, "The Weaver" while showing a handkerchief that she had embroidered. Look at the tangled mess of the back side.

Too often, that is what we see of ourselves.

A gnarled, ugly mess.

Corrie reminded all to stop, and take a look at the front side of our lives just as the Lord does. He doesn't see a tangled web, but a beautiful life in the process of being perfected. Not only that, but some of those ugly knots are just as important as the pretty ones.

Visiting the ten Boom house was a surprisingly spiritual experience. Reading the book has given me greater insight on how I can improve my listening skills with the Lord and reiterated my belief in living my life by faith and following the promptings of the Holy Spirit. Corrie ten Boom is an amazing lady!

Josh standing next to an opening made in the false wall in Corrie's bedroom. Refugees would hide behind this wall in the tiny space by crawling in through the bottom shelf in the built in clothes closet. A false door would slide shut, concealing the entrance. When the ten Boom home was raided, four Jewish refugees and two resistance fighters hid in this space for 47 hours while German soldiers searched for them. They were never found.

The German soldiers did find extra food ration cards in this hollowed out space in the stair railing below. Because of these ration cards, the ten Booms were taken to German death camps where her sister and father died, and another brother became terminally ill. All in all, four members of their family gave their lives to save others. Corrie survived by a shear miracle, literally.

The ten Booms were watchmakers. When this advertisement for a watch brand was turned around, it was an "all clear" sign to those seeking help. The Gestapo figured this out during their raid and used it as a decoy after the raid to lure in more than 30 others.