Podcast Summary:

Podcast: Breakpoint
Host: John Stonestreet (Colson Center)
Episode: Corrie ten Boom's Life of Faithfulness
Date: January 13, 2026

Overview

In this episode, John Stonestreet reflects on the enduring impact of Corrie ten Boom's memoir, The Hiding Place, 55 years after its publication. Using Corrie’s harrowing story of faith and gratitude within a Nazi concentration camp, Stonestreet draws lessons on Christian faithfulness, the transformative power of thankfulness, and how gratitude can shape our hearts and minds even in the darkest circumstances.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The 55th Anniversary of The Hiding Place (00:01)

• Stonestreet sets the stage by recommending Corrie ten Boom's The Hiding Place, highlighting its anniversary and urging listeners to read or reread the book as a meaningful new year’s resolution.
• He briefly recounts the story: Corrie ten Boom and her family were arrested for hiding Jews during WWII, leading to Corrie and her sister Betsie’s imprisonment at Ravensbrück concentration camp.

2. The Power of Faith within Suffering (01:05)

• Stonestreet retells a powerful anecdote from the memoir: Corrie and Betsie’s encounter with intolerable conditions, specifically the infestation of fleas in Barracks 28.

• The sisters’ initial despair is met by Betsie’s encouragement to practice gratitude, inspired by a passage from 1 Thessalonians 5: “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of Jesus Christ.”

• Notable Quote [02:10]:

  “That’s it, Corrie. That’s his answer. We can start right now for thanking God for every single thing about this barracks.”
  — Betsie ten Boom, as quoted by John Stonestreet

• Despite Corrie’s initial resistance to the idea of being thankful for “the fleas,” Betsie insists on gratitude for even the most unpleasant realities.

• Notable Quote [03:08]:

  "There’s no way God can make me grateful for a flea.”
  — Corrie ten Boom, as paraphrased by Stonestreet

3. Miraculous Outcomes from Gratitude (03:28)

• The sisters later discover that the guards never entered their flea-infested barracks—because of the fleas. This provided a unique safety, allowing them to read and share the Bible with other women at night.

• Notable Quote [04:05]:

  “Because they were scared of the fleas.”
  — John Stonestreet on why guards avoided Barracks 28

• Stonestreet draws a lesson: Gratitude is not arbitrary; it transforms us and can have real effects in the world.

4. Scientific Undergirding for Thankfulness (04:30)

• He bridges spiritual practice with neuroscience, citing the American Brain Foundation: Gratitude activates key brain centers linked to decision-making, motivation, and emotional regulation.

• Notable Quote [05:02]:

  “Being thankful effectively rewires the brain.”
  — John Stonestreet

• He notes that studies show gratitude improves physical health, social bonds, and wellbeing, referencing positive outcomes for cardiovascular health and Alzheimer’s patients.

5. Another Profound Story from The Hiding Place (05:30)

• Stonestreet recounts a second story: Corrie and Betsie enduring humiliating strip-searches. Corrie found strength by meditating on the crucifixion of Christ, recalling that Jesus, too, was stripped and shamed.

• Notable Quote [06:23]:

  “He hung on the cross...Betsie, they took his clothes, too.”
  — Corrie ten Boom, as recalled by Stonestreet

• Betsie responds with a gasp of realization, “Oh Corrie. And I never thanked him.”

6. The Theological Backbone: Gratitude in All Things (06:50)

• Stonestreet concludes: The scriptural call to give thanks “in everything” is rooted in the reality of who God is.
• Notable Quote [07:04]:

  “If we forget that, we forget who we are and what life is really all about.”
  — John Stonestreet

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• [02:10] Betsie quoting scripture as the answer to suffering:

  “That’s it, Corrie. That’s his answer. We can start right now for thanking God for every single thing about this barracks.”

• [03:08] Corrie’s honest refusal about the fleas:

  "There’s no way God can make me grateful for a flea.”

• [04:05] How the fleas protected them:

  “Because they were scared of the fleas.”

• [05:02] Science affirms the benefits of gratitude:

  “Being thankful effectively rewires the brain.”

• [06:23] Corrie relates her own suffering to Christ:

  “He hung on the cross...Betsie, they took his clothes, too.”

• [07:04] The centrality of thankfulness:

  “If we forget that, we forget who we are and what life is really all about.”

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 00:01 Introduction, The Hiding Place anniversary and summary
• 01:05 Corrie and Betsie’s struggle with gratitude amid horrid conditions
• 02:10 Betsie’s call to thankfulness based on scripture
• 03:28 The “miracle” of the fleas—and why the guards stayed away
• 04:30 Scientific research on gratitude’s effects
• 05:30 The strip search story and Corrie’s biblical meditation
• 06:50 Final reflections on gratitude’s purpose and reality

Tone & Final Thoughts

In his reflective and warm style, John Stonestreet uses Corrie ten Boom’s testimony not just to inspire, but to connect deep Christian truth with practical, even scientifically supported, benefits of gratitude. The episode is both a remembrance and a call to action—discovering faithfulness and giving thanks in all things, even those as small and bothersome as fleas.