Last fall, I met a young man who quite obviously had great wisdom and what I call discernment. I asked him how he came to see life so clearly.
I think my question took him by surprise; I looked into his eyes and could see such a fine young man. He answered with 9 or 10 words that summed it up for me.
He learned the value of hard work at a VERY young age. He watched his family members work extremely hard for everything they had and never stopped.
He was fortunate to have generational influence, parents, and grandparents he observed at a young age, and that is how he came to have such wisdom. I would add that he has discernment, the ability to see the truth—a spiritual gift.
As a teenager, I worked at a German Deli and worked with a woman we will call “Jo” she was a lot of fun and good to talk with; Jo loved to laugh. She shared a few of her life experiences during WWII.
One of her stories has stayed in my mind all these years. Because I am visual, this has played out in my mind for many years. I am forever grateful for the stories shared with me as a teenager.
One day, I must have asked her about WWII, and to tell me the story she wanted to share, we had to go to a part of the deli where NO ONE could hear her.
It was clear that after all of the years, she could not tell the story in front of the other European women for fear of retaliation of any sort.
Jo’s story was of a memory she had, the German soldiers came to her village and rounded up the Jewish families. The village people watched as one person at a time was forced to walk to the middle of the plank where they were shot.
A young girl, about 12 years old, ran away from the German soldiers, only to be captured and sent back to walk the plank and shot, her body falling into the pit to her death.
Did she die immediately? Or did she linger in a pit full of her family and friends? She had the survivor in her, but without a way to survive.
- Father’s were unable to protect their families
- Mother’s living their last moments in horror, and this played out over and over again.
Did they know this would eventually happen? Did it come as a total surprise? Did they have premonitions?
Or did they think this could never happen to them?
Why couldn’t they protect themselves? Ask yourself that question.
And the large hole, I only learned this over the last few years, the Jews were forced to dig their burial pit.
Ever hear of a battle in Europe during this period, where a community was prepared for the German soldiers to defend against such evil? Neither have I. Ask yourself why.
In the last few weeks, I heard a news commentator stating that people are getting tired of hearing WWII and Holocaust stories. It’s getting old.
Just another part of our history, people would like to hide, and some even say it never happened. Ask yourself why.
In reality, it is not even a lifetime away, and we are happy to sweep it under the rug. Might there be a reason?
My greatest fear is that many of us have already forgotten 911; might we have a short attention span?
As the people who lived through WWII pass, even with audio and video recordings of their stories, our children, grandchildren, and descendants will not be taught how to recognize the broad brush of hatred.
It is happening today, can you recognize it?
When the young no longer know what the numbers on the arm mean or can name a concentration camp, history will repeat itself.
When they no longer ask questions or are allowed to challenge the “leadership” or are prepared to protect their families, you can bet those in power will take care of you.
Notice how you no longer hear about the young people in Hong Kong who oppose the government? Neatly tucked away, and no one cares. It might be easier to understand why so many turned their heads to the massacre in Europe.
With Censorship, in the electronic world, in a few short minutes, history is removed from Search Engines, Video platforms like YouTube, and so on. No need to burn books; in the electronic world, it is easily removed and forgotten.
When I was young, I fantasized about “What if there was a war and nobody came” as an adult, I realize that is a fantasy. What I thought should happen is those at the top of each opposing government or regime, not those at the bottom, should go to war.
Let’s see what they are made of; I think we know what would happen. They are all wimps.
There is always an agenda, it is always tied to money and power.
I saw a church sign this week, Jesus told us to love. We are also told to protect ourselves and our families.
How many people even care about what Jesus had to say?
We are too smart to believe there is a higher power called God and a Son of God by the name of Jesus Christ. Yet, in social media, I see everyone praying for each other, even those who do not believe. I often wonder, who are they praying to? Why not just say, “Sending good thoughts your way.”
When the broad brush of hatred identifies a group, such as Jews, any race, any religion, any social class, any occupation, and the masses cannot see they are being taught to hate and to see other human beings as less than human or dispensible, we are in trouble.
Today, we believe what we are told without questioning and we are not taught how to think but what to think.
History, like life experience, is crucial because it helps us to identify impending danger. Survival instincts should kick in.
When we become people who believe everything we read, believe everything we see or hear from media, we are in trouble. We must listen carefully and question everything.
Start questioning, play the “devil’s advocate,” and see how long you are “allowed” to ask questions.
And we must pray for the Gift of Discernment.
The spiritual gift of discernment is also known as the gift of “discernment of spirits” or “distinguishing between spirits.” The Greek word for the gift of discernment is Diakrisis. The word describes being able to distinguish, discern, judge, or appraise a person, statement, situation, or environment. The New Testament describes the ability to distinguish between spirits as in 1 Corinthians 12:10 and to discern good and evil as in Hebrews 5:14.
How do you find a song for the Holocaust? I did, and it is amazing to me is that the story is linked to Akron, Ohio.
The Back Story
After Andy put together the Podcast, he talked with me about the pockets of Europe where the Jews tried unsuccessfully to defend themselves. I really need to record his talk about WWII, and he has a wealth of knowledge that needs to be recorded.
When we work ourselves to death and have little time to catch up, decipher the truth, and now even find the truth, we are in trouble.
Ever wonder how many entities control the world’s media? Question everything.
Some people do nothing all day long but spew hatred, confusion, and division. No solutions.
Sadly, most of them have spent a lifetime controlling this country and are voted into office repeatedly.
We enable this superior behavior. We make our politicians rich while the number of the poor living in the streets grows. It is pretty apparent that if you depend on the government, they will take care of you alright.
We have now been told that law enforcement must be “reimagined.” They are the worst of the worst and have had a target on their heads for some time.
The weakest word I hear today is the word “reimagined” Reimagined reminds me of another word typically used with women or minorities, Empowerment.
Wow, Gee, yes, please teach me how to become Empowered. As if we are so weak we cannot empower ourselves. We need others to Empower us.
These words have been used for decades, I am not sure how successful the trainees of Empowerment have been, but I bet the trainers have made some money.
Ask the people in the most deadly neighborhoods in the U.S. if they want to “reimagine” the police. You will never hear their answers; the media squashes their voices.
But, I digress; they have been taken advantage of for decades, you will never hear their opinions on the news because nobody cares. They are the Dispensable people. No one fights for their lives.
If our children are not taught about the past, how it came to be, how to identify the dangers, how to prosper despite life’s trials, how to live life to the fullest in spite of adversity, we have not done our job.
And now, as the “Elders” we should have the wisdom to impart about the value of discernment. We should have more solutions to give than confusion.
Every time someone from the WWII era passes, I weep.
Links to video worth sharing and remembering – as of 2-7-2021 these links are still online.
What does Jesus say about children?
Matthew 18:1-5 At that time, the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who, then, is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child to him and placed the child among them. And he said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
What Does The Bible Say About Protecting Your Family? https://biblereasons.com/defending-yourself/
Luke 22:35-36 Then Jesus asked them, “When I sent you out to preach the Good News and you did not have money, a traveler’s bag, or an extra pair of sandals, did you need anything?” “No,” they replied. “But now,” he said, “take your money and a traveler’s bag. And if you don’t have a sword, sell your cloak and buy one!
Exodus 22:2-3 “If a thief is caught in the act of breaking into a house and is struck and killed in the process, the person who killed the thief is not guilty of murder. But if it happens in daylight, the one who killed the thief is guilty of murder. “A thief who is caught must pay in full for everything he stole. If he cannot pay, he must be sold as a slave to pay for his theft.
Luke 22:38 And they were saying to him, ‘Our Lord, behold, here are two swords.’ He said to them, ‘They are enough.’
Luke 11:21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are undisturbed.
Psalm 18:34 He trains my hands for battle; he strengthens my arm to draw a bronze bow.
Psalm 144:1 A psalm of David. Praise the LORD, who is my rock. He trains my hands for war and gives my fingers skill for battle.
Samuel 22:35 He trains my hands for war so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
What to Write About?
This is a tough one.
How about a story that someone told you knowing that there could be retaliation
A story you are afraid to tell
Something you saw as a child
What memory popped into your mind while you read or listened to this story?
Stories to encourage you to write for Personal Growth, Ignoring the Noise to Move Forward. Life Writing and Storytelling for Growth Motivation.
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