Corrie ten Boom, Her Story
4. Pain
I VISITED BOB, a friend who had had a terrible accident. When I entered his room, he opened his eyes and looked at me, saying only one word: "Pain." I saw on his face that his suffering was almost unbearable. I stayed with him that evening.
There came a moment when I saw that he was able to listen and I told him an experience I had in the concentration camp. "Bob, the greatest suffering I had in the concentration camp was to be stripped of all my clothing and to have to stand naked. I told my sister, 'I cannot bear this. This is worse than all other cruelties we have had to endure.' Suddenly it was as if I saw Jesus on the cross, and I remembered that it says in the Bible, 'They took His garments.' Jesus hung there naked. By my own suffering, I understood a fraction of Jesus' suffering. And that gave me strength. Now I could bear my own suffering. Love so amazing—so divine— demands my life, my soul, my all. Bob, do you realize it must have meant almost intolerable pain to Jesus to die on the cross? Just think of His hands, His feet, His body. And He did that for you and for me."
I was silent. Bob had closed his eyes. But a moment later he looked at me and said, "I am looking at Jesus. Yes, I understand only a fraction of the pain He suffered. And it makes me so thankful that He did it all for me."
Bob's face was more relaxed than before and I saw peace in his eyes. A moment later I saw that he had fallen asleep and I quietly left the room.
The next day I was able to visit him again. "Corrie," he said, "every time I had so much pain, and could hardly bear it, I was thinking of Jesus. It made me so thankful! It is as if now I have the strength to bear it. Tell me a little bit of what
JESUS IS VICTOR Boo you thought when you had to suffer in the concentration camp. Have you ever had pain?"
"T surely have, and do you know what helped me then?
The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.
Romans 8:18 "We can look forward to the time when we shall be in the place where there is no pain, no cruelty, no death. Oh, Bob, the best is yet to be! Isn't that a joy?"
I saw him smiling for the first time. "Yes," he said, "what a joy! The best is yet to be!"
And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
Revelation 21:4