Starting Right
Starting Right is a 5 minute Day Starter to help keep you motivated, encouraged, and focused throughout your day. DannyMac is a pastor, teacher, motivational speaker, husband, and father. His years of leading and training people have given him vast experience in helping individuals to accomplish change in their lives and meet their goals. He can help you set the course for your day by offering practical advice from God's Word in a positive and fun way. There is no better way to begin your day than by Starting Right with DannyMac.
Starting Right
Beyond Suffering: The Power of Giving Thanks
Have you ever considered that your biggest annoyances might actually be blessings in disguise? Today's episode uncovers the remarkable true story of Corrie Ten Boom and her sister Betsy, whose experience in a Nazi concentration camp reveals an extraordinary lesson about gratitude.
When the Ten Boom family was arrested in 1944 for hiding Jews in Amsterdam, sisters Corrie and Betsy found themselves in the horrific conditions of Ravensbrück. Facing starvation, overcrowding, and a terrible flea infestation, Betsy challenged her sister to practice gratitude for everything—even the fleas. Corrie initially resisted this seemingly impossible task. How could anyone be thankful for parasites that only added to their misery?
Weeks later, they discovered something astonishing: those same fleas were keeping the guards away from their barracks, allowing their secret Bible study to flourish undisturbed. What Corrie had most resisted being thankful for had become their unexpected protection. This powerful revelation from Corrie's memoir "The Hiding Place" challenges us to reconsider our complaints and look for hidden blessings in our difficulties. As the scripture reminds us, we should "give thanks in all circumstances"—not just the pleasant ones.
What "fleas" might you be overlooking in your own life? Subscribe to Starting Right and join me every weekday morning as we discover more insights to help you start your day with perspective, gratitude, and purpose.
Good morning and welcome to Starting Right. I am Danny Mac and I'm going to be here every Monday to Friday to help you get a great start to your day. So grab your cup of coffee, sit back and relax for the next five minutes as I help you start your day by starting right. In 1971, corrie Ten Boom released her book the Hiding Place. In it she described her family's life in Amsterdam during the Second World War. Family's life in Amsterdam during the Second World War.
Speaker 1:When the Nazis arrived and started to round up the Jews, corrie's father and mother decided they were going to help the Jews by hiding them and then helping them to escape. In 1944, an informer told the Nazis about Corrie's family and they were all arrested and sent off to prison camps. Corrie and her sister Betsy wound up sharing the same dormitory in Ravensbrück. It was a horrible place to live. And in Corrie and her sister Betsy wound up sharing the same dormitory in Ravensbrook. It was a horrible place to live. And in Corrie's book she tells how her sister helped to change her attitude about where they were.
Speaker 1:We lay back on our bunks, struggling against the nausea that swept over us from the reeking straw. Suddenly I sat up, striking my head on the cross slats above. Something had pinched my leg Fleas. I cried. Betsy, this place is swarming with fleas here. And another one, betsy, betsy, how can we live in such a place? Show us, show us how.
Speaker 1:It was said so matter-of-factly that it took me a second to realize that she was praying. More and more, the distinction between prayer and the rest of life seemed to be vanishing. For Betsy Corey, he's given us the answer. Before we asked, as he always does in the Bible this morning, where was it Read that part again, corey opened her Bible to the passage in 1 Thessalonians 5. Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus. That's it, corey. That's his answer. Give thanks in all circumstances. That's what we can do. We can start right now to thank God for every single thing about this new barracks.
Speaker 1:I stared at her and then around me, at the dark, foul-haired room. Such as I said, such as being assigned here together. I bit my lip. Oh, yes, thank you, lord Jesus. Such as what you're holding in your hands. I looked down at the Bible. Yes, yes, thank you, dear Lord, that there was no inspection when we entered here. Thank you for all these women here in this room who will meet you in these pages. Yes, said Betsy, thank you for the crowding here, since we're packed so close that many more will hear. She looked at me expectantly, corey. She prodded oh, all right, thank you for the jam-cram-stuffed, packed, suffocating crowds. Betsy serenely went on. Thank you for the fleas and for the fleas. This was too much, betsy. There's no way even God can make me grateful for a flea. Give thanks in all circumstances, she quoted. It doesn't say in pleasant circumstances. Fleas are part of this place where God has put us. And so we stood between tiers of bunks and gave thanks for fleas. But this time I was sure Betsy was wrong.
Speaker 1:The daily drudgery of the camp continued on for several weeks Little food, little sleep, filth, dirt, fleas everywhere. The only highlight was their lady's Bible study, which continued to grow. In fact it grew to the point where they now had to have two services in order to accommodate everybody. But they were never, ever bothered by the guards, which surprised them. Corey goes on to tell. She said this afternoon there was some confusion in our knitting group about sock sizes and we had to ask the supervisor to come in and settle it, but she wouldn't. She wouldn't step through the door and neither would the guards. And do you know why Betsy could not keep the triumph from her voice? Because of the fleas. That's what she said. The place is crawling with fleas, corey said. My mind rushed back to our first hour in this place. I remembered Betsy's bowed head, remembered her thanking God for the creatures that I had absolutely no use for, and yet God used them to allow us to share His love and His truth to these women who needed it so desperately. I never thought something good could come from those fleas.
Speaker 1:Betsy died in that prison camp in 1944. Corrie miraculously was released shortly after her sister's death and went on to write the Hiding Place, which told this wonderful story, but also to encourage and help so many people around the world to understand what forgiveness is, what love is and how to overcome extreme difficulty. Today we need to be reminded of those same words from 1 Corinthians, 5 and verse 14. Comfort the frightened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. See that none of you repays evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to all. Have a great day. My friends, we will talk again tomorrow. Thank you for listening today and I invite you to join me Monday to Friday, right here on Starting Right with Danny Mac.
