Thoughts from Mark "Hat" Rackley

Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.

• Revelation 3:19-20

I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.

• Revelation 3:8

Take delight in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

• Psalm 37:4

As iron sharpens iron,
    so one person sharpens another.

• Proverbs 27:17

“The guard, a young German girl, shouted at me. ‘Nr. 66730!’
“I stepped forward, stood at attention and repeated the necessary words. ‘Schutzhaftling ten Boom, Cornelia, meldet sich.’
“ ‘Stand on Number 1 on the roll call.’
“I went to the place to the far right, where I could overlook the entire square of the bleak camp. Standing in the crowd I could not feel the draft, but now, standing in the bitter cold, the wind-whipped through my ragged prison dress. Another girl, young and frightened, was sent to stand beside me. Roll call took three hours and we were almost frozen. She saw how cold I was and rubbed my spine when the guards were not looking.
“ ‘Why must I stand here?’ I asked through chattering teeth.
“Her answer was barely audible as it came from her blue lips. ‘Death sentence.’
“I turned back to the Lord. ‘Perhaps I’ll see you soon face-to-face, like Betsie does now, Lord. Let it not be too cruel a killing. Not gas, Lord, nor hanging. I prefer shooting. It is so quick. You see something, you hear something, and it is finished.’
“I looked back at the young girl beside me. ‘Lord, this is perhaps the last chance I will have to bring someone to You before I arrive in heaven. Use me, Lord. Give me all the love and wisdom I need.’
“ ‘What is your name?’ I asked her softly, glancing always to see if the guards were looking.
“ ‘Tiny.’
“ ‘I am Corrie,’ I whispered. ‘How long have you been here?’
“ ‘Two years.’
“ ‘Did you ever read the Bible?’
“ ‘No, I never did.’
“ ‘Do you believe God exists?’
“ ‘I do. I wish I knew more about Him. Do you know Him?’
“ ‘I do. Jesus, His Son, came to this world to carry our punishment. He died on the cross, but He rose from the dead and has promised to be with us always. My sister died here. She suffered so much. I, too, have suffered. But Jesus is always with us. He did a miracle in taking away all my hatred and bitterness for my enemies. Jesus is willing to bring into our hearts God’s love through His Holy Spirit.’
“Tiny listened. ‘For almost three hours we talked while the guards completed the roll call. It was a miracle, for I had a chance to explain many things about Jesus. The prisoners behind us listened, too. I felt happy. Perhaps this was my last chance in life, but what joy!
“I continued. ‘Jesus wants to live in your heart. “Behold, I stand at the door and knock,” He says. “If anyone opens the door, I’ll come in.” Will you open the door of your heart and let Him come in and change you?’
“ ‘I will,’ she said.
“ ‘Then talk to Him. Tell Him whatever you think. Now you have a Friend who never leaves you alone.’
“The siren sounded and the guards shouted at the prisoners. ‘Get to work!’
“Thousands of women prisoners were running to their places where they had to march to their work. Tiny disappeared from sight. Only I was left standing in my place where I had been ordered not to move. I still did not know what fate awaited me.
“I did know, however, that the God who never slumbers nor sleeps was now with Tiny. And Tiny knew it, too. Neither of us knew at that time how important that was going to be to her in the next few days. But above the din of the concentration camp, I thought I heard the singing of the angels.
“Then I heard my name called. Was it death? Oh, thank God, no. It was life. I was being released. I later learned it was through an administrative blunder, but even then I knew it was not the end of an era—it was just the beginning. Ahead of me was the world.”

• Corrie ten Boom, Tramp for the Lord

The German spoken means “Protective prisoner ten Boom, Cornelia, reports.”

She only briefly recounts what happened next at the beginning of the next chapter.  She was standing near the gate of Ravensbruck.  Mimi told her that Tiny and Marie, another woman who had accepted Jesus into her life, had died that morning.  Then the guard ordered Mimi away.  The guard ordered Corrie to face the gate and not look back.  A young girl in an officer’s uniform ordered her to follow her.  The gates were opened and as she slowly walked, she heard the gates close.  Corrie thought of Revelation 3:8.  One other prisoner was released that day along with Corrie.  Corrie then took a three-day train ride to Holland.

But going back to what was on her mind that day, she had been singled out.  The guard whispered that she was given a death sentence.  As the other women walked into the formation, Corrie being the one with whom they formed a large rectangle of emaciated women.  She sees a young woman next to her and she begs that God will give her just one more life to save before she loses her own.

When God says in Scripture that for those who desire Him and His Kingdom, He gives them the desires of their heart, Corrie ten Boom called upon that promise.

She went from wishing she died by a bullet, quick, rather than gas or being hung to “Lord, help me guide one more soul to You!”

I have a rather lengthy quote here, because it all fits together.  If we only had a tape recording of those three hours of her sharing the Gospel to Tiny…

Corrie says at a different point that the orders were to kill everyone at Ravensbruck, but the Holocaust archives show thousands being led out by a forced march only to be intercepted by the advancing Russian army.  Other thousands were sent to other camps, many being death camps.  But staying at Ravensbruck could have easily led to her death.

And what of the guard telling her about a death sentence?  Had the leaders at the camp figured out why her barracks was the barracks for crazy people.  Those crazy people had hope.  Had they discovered the “preacher” in their midst?

We can only consider it a miracle.  And the miracle was carried out because God knew Corrie’s heart.  If she could forget about her own execution and tell people the Gospel in the little time she had left, then granting her freedom would advance the kingdom of God even further.

Lord, strengthen me.  I have had some minor health issues in the past six months and for the past two months, it has knocked the wind out of my sails, but Corrie seemed to let nothing get in her way of sharing the Gospel.  Lord, as iron sharpens iron, we can sharpen one another.  But I have worked in the steel industry, Lord.  When iron sharpens iron, there is grinding to make the rough places plain.  We must be willing to die if necessary so that we can endure that sharpening.  And I praise Your Name that Corrie was given the opportunity to tell of her life after Ravensbruck.  It is not just a story of one woman’s journey.  It is a model for us all to aspire.  Oh, Lord, thank You for those administrative blunders. In Your name I pray.  Amen.

And I still cannot read these chapters without my eyes getting wet. To see such great faith, it is the most beautiful thing on earth.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.