There was a battle above Harlem. The ten Booms huddled in the dining room until the night sky was silent.

Later Corrie found a hunk of metal on her bed. “Betsie! If I had been in bed it would have struck me right in the head.”

Betsie smiled patiently. “In God’s world there are no ‘ifs.’ No place is any safer than any other place. Our only safety is in the center of God’s will. Let us pray that we know His will.”

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Of Corrie ten Boom sharing:

Theologians who sat around critiquing the Bible but doing nothing to mend broken spirits of their flocks angered her. Once in Germany she said to such a group, “If I speak about the Lord’s return, as I probably shall, will you label me a Sectarian? If I speak about the fullness of the Holy Spirit does that make me a Pentecostal? Get your labels ready. If I speak about conversion will you label me a Pietist? If my message piques your consciences too much, you can label me and set me aside in a dusty pigeonhole.”

That was the spitfire Corrie ten Boom. Sometimes her approach was softer. To other theologians she passed out Dutch chocolate before a meeting. Chocolate was very rare after the war. They took it eagerly and ate it. When she finally spoke, she said in mock anger, “No one said anything about the chocolate.”

“But that’s not true,” protested one theologian. “We thanked you for it. I know I did.”

Corrie answered, “I meant that none of you asked me how much sugar was in it. Or what kind of chocolate it was. Or the order in which the ingredients were added together. Or the temperature of the mix. Or where it was made.” She smiled as her trap was sprung. “You just took it and ate it.”

“And it was excellent,” joked one unsuspecting theologian.

“And in the same way you should read this!” She brandished her Bible. “Stop analyzing it or you will never be nourished. Pick it up and read the word of God!”