Blessed Money and Cursed Money

I am continually amazed with Corrie ten Boom. She was in her 80’s when she penned her autobiography, In My Father’s House, about the events that God used that would forever shape her. She tells a story about her father, Casper ten Boom.


She recollects a time when the ten Boom family was facing a real financial crisis. A large bill arrived in the mail but there wasn’t enough money to pay it off. During that time, a very well-dressed man came into the ten Boom shop to purchase a watch (Corrie’s father was a watchmaker).


As the man looked at the watches, Corrie stayed in the background and prayed that the man would purchase one of the expensive watches so they would have the money for the bill.


Of course the man picked out an expensive watch and pulled out a stack of large bills to give to Casper. Corrie writes, “Praise the Lord- cash! (I saw myself paying the overdue bill, and being relieved of the burden I had been carrying for the past few weeks.)”


As the customer handed the money to Casper, the customer mentioned that he used to purchase his watches from another watchmaker in the town (who Casper knew) but the watch was a lemon and he said he would never buy a watch from that watchmaker again. Casper asked for the watch and repaired it right there.


As Casper handed the watch back to the customer, he told the man to encourage the other watchmaker by buying a new watch from him. And if there were any problems with the watches, Casper would repair them free of charge. Corrie writes, “I was horrified. I saw Father take back the watch and give the money to the customer… My heart was where was my feet should be as I emerged from the shelter of the workshop. ‘Papa, how could you?’”


Casper replied, “Corrie, you know that I brought the Gospel to that watchmaker’s family…What do you think that watchmaker would have said when he heard that one of his good customers had gone to Mr. ten Boom? Do you think that the name of the Lord would be honored? There is blessed money and cursed money. Trust the Lord. He owns the cattle on a thousand hills and He will take care of us” (114-17).


Will people remember your words and your actions? Will they remember how you trusted the Lord more than anything else? What are you doing to shape and mold those in your life? Let’s leave a legacy of trusting God!