ravensbruck

what we learn from corrie & betsie ten boom's experience at a concentration camp called ravensbruck during world war II (from corrie's book the hiding place, retold by andree seu in world magazine):

"corrie & betsie had just learned their new barracks was infested with fleas:
'betsie, how can we live in this place!'
'show us. show us how.' it was said so matter of factly, it took me a second to realize she was praying. more and more the distinction between prayer & the rest of life seemed to be vanishing for betsie.
corrie remembered the bible passage they had read that morning. they looked both ways, then read: 'rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus.'
"'that's it, corrie. that's His answer... give thanks in all circumstances. we can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks.'" they commenced praise for their being assigned to the same barracks; for the bible they got away with keeping; for the other women who would meet Jesus through that bible.
'thank you,' betsie went on serenely, 'for the fleas.'

here corrie raised an objection. but some time later, the residents of barracks 28 noted a puzzling phenomenon, that the guards who were so zealous in surveillance of the lagerstrasse & the center room exerted almost no supervision of their particular dormitory. when a dispute over socks did not prompt official intervention, they learned that the supervisor refused to set foot in the place. she was heard to say: 'that place is crawling with fleas.' "

"let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. and be thankful. let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. and whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him"
-colossians 3:15-19