Anne Frank

On Wednesday I visited the Anne Frank house, a short walk from where I am living and working. I went with Ashley, a guest that I met at the hostel the night before. She was traveling alone so I offered to do some sight-seeing with her - it was a neat chance to hang out with a high school graduate while being a representative of Christ to her. Visiting the Anne Frank house really got me thinking. The house/museum is very well done, allowing a lot of time for reflection while on the self-guided tour of the building. Seeing videos and graphic pictures of what the Jews endured opened my eyes a little more to the power of sin in this world. I asked myself, as many do, why would God let this happen? Why should I coast along in life when there are so many who have endured such terrible hardship and persecution? Later in the day, while I was at our Ministry Training class (more on that later!) I was reminded of the verse 1 John 1:5 which states that "God is light, in him there is no darkness at all". The holocaust and every other evil in the world grieves God's heart so much and in no way is that His desire for His creation. I praise God for the hope that lies in Christ - a light that prevails in a dark world. I just started reading "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom and think it would be neat to visit her home in Haarlem during my time here. Learning through her story that God is present and at work in all situations and knowing that He can provide strength in all circumstances gives me hope as well! I hope that you are experiencing hope in your day today!