He felt like his spirit and soul were imprisoned in a body that frustrated his efforts to communicate and care for himself. His only solace was his abiding trust in his redeemer. Before his stroke, he would ask me to read Psalm 91:4 to him – “He shall cover thee with His feathers and under His wings shalt thou trust; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.”

Before his ill health, Hugh shared a remarkable story with me. He had worked hard that spring and summer, planting and cultivating his crops. He felt that he wanted to take a break and go to St Louis and do some sightseeing. Being a bachelor farmer, he had always worked hard and rarely went anywhere. On his way back from St Louis, he decided to stop at a county fair. After walking around for a while, he felt a sudden urgency to go home. As Hugh drove toward home, he felt strongly impressed to take the East St Louis exit. He had no natural desire to go through blighted, crime-ridden East St Louis. But he turned off and went a few blocks to the first stoplight.

There on the corner stood a stout elderly woman with two old suitcases sitting beside her. It was a warm day, but she had on an old winter coat. She stood with her head bowed and eyes closed as if she were praying. Hugh felt that he should stop and talk with her. He drove around the block and came back to where she was standing. Her head was still bowed. He rolled the car window down and said, “Lady, can I help you?” She opened her eyes and smiled. In broken English she replied, “Ya, do you know ver Salem, Illinois ist? I’m to meet some friends there.”

“Yes I do,” Hugh answered, “I live just a few miles from there.” Hugh got out, took her suitcases, which seemed to be as heavy as rocks, and put them in the trunk of his car.

The lady got into the car and said to Hugh, ‘We must pray for East St Louis.” She then went promptly to sleep. Arriving in Salem, Hugh took her to the hotel where she was to meet her friends. A couple of weeks later Hugh was watching a Christian television program where the host was interviewing a familiar looking woman. Suddenly Hugh recognized her. “That’s the lady I drove to Salem!” he exclaimed. Her name was Corrie ten Boom.

Corrie ten Boom spent the first 50 years of her life living peacefully with her father and sister above their watch shop in Holland and taught the Word of God wherever God opened doors. But during World War II, the Ten Booms were imprisoned in a German concentration camp for hiding Jewish refugees. Her family perished there, but Corrie was miraculously released. As the Ten Booms provided a hiding place for Jewish refugees hunted by the Nazis, so Corrie had a hiding place amidst the horrors of war – the Rock Christ Jesus.

After her release from the prison, Corrie crisscrossed the globe, slept in a thousand different beds, and lived out of a suitcase to fulfill her God-given mission to tell people everywhere that they matter – that Jesus Christ is a reality – that He lives – that He is the Victor – that He wants to be your Hiding Place.

Corrie Ten Boom authored many books including The Hiding Place, which was made into a major motion picture. Her secretary and traveling companion, Pam Rosewell Moore has authored a new exciting book Life Lessons from Corrie Ten Boom. Chosen books has released an exclusive 3 – in – 1 edition of Corrie’s life, works, and life messages.

Pam Rosewell Moore reveals that Corrie’s life was based on her belief that “all our times are in God’s hands, even difficult ones. Theologians call this the sovereignty of God. Corrie believed that He who is all-loving and always good determines the path His children take, allowing pain and suffering to come to them for an eventually good purpose.”

Why did Corrie and Hugh “accidentally” end up in East St Louis? Because God loves East St Louis – people matter to Him. And God loves you. You matter to Him. (Read Psalm 91.)

Make Jesus Christ your Hiding Place today. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him, shall not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).