The Train Ticket

One of my favorite authors is Corrie ten Boom.  She was a Christian who truly lived by God’s call to love one another.  That was tested by the fact that she also lived in Holland during the time of Nazi occupation.  She and her family helped hide Jews in their home and were instrumental in organizing the Haarlem underground that saved the lives of countless people.  Amazing woman.  I can’t even begin to do justice to her incredible life.  She has inspired me to be stronger.  I wish I could have met her.

 

In her book The Hiding Place she tells the following story from her childhood.  While this tale is about strength in the face of death I think it is also applicable on a broader scale.  Corrie had just witnessed death first-hand; a small baby in the neighborhood had died.  It left her young mind feeling deeply upset and confused and afraid.  When her father came to tuck her in that night all those feelings came tumbling out-

…that night as he stepped through the door I burst into tears..”I need you!” I sobbed.  “You can’t die!  You can’t!”…

Father sat down on the edge of the narrow bed.  “Corrie,”  he began gently, “when you and I go to Amsterdam- when do I give you your ticket?”

I sniffed a few times, considering this.  “Why, just before we get on the train.”

“Exactly.  And our wise Father in heaven knows when we’re going to need things, too.  Don’t run ahead of him, Corrie.  When the time comes that some of us will have to die, you will look into your heart and find the strength you need- just in time.”

Sometimes I look at the struggles other people face and I think, “I don’t know how they do it.”  But then when I really take a step back and look at my life I think, “WOW!  I don’t know how I do it!”  I  think as parents we often underestimate ourselves and are stronger than we think.  The future looks scary, obstacles block our way.  Yet when the time comes we find the strength we need, often surprising ourselves.  We do things we never thought we could.  

If you had told me ten years ago that this would be my life now I might have told you, “No way, I can’t do it.  That sounds too hard.”  Raising a child with unidentified developmental delays and some behavioral issues is exhausting.  Parenting in itself is exhausting!  It feels like I have been on one great big train ride.  And yet here I am, riding the train, and God has placed my ticket in my hand.  I have surprised myself.  I have found strength to do more than I thought I could.  My life is hard, yes, but it’s not that hard.  Everyone’s life is hard sometimes!  It’s just MY life and Gold helps me find the strength to live it.  To LOVE it.     

 “When the time comes… you will look into your heart and find the strength you need- just in time.”

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