A true story of heroism
Heaven Admin and I were visiting my daughter in Chicago. We went to hear a trio from Argentina playing folk songs from South America. The music was beautiful, and this was hardly the place where I would have expected to hear a story I wish I had never heard.
The singer/guitarist had written a song about a cruelty that had been perpetuated thirty years ago. This story makes all the bad things I have ever heard of seem like nothing at all in comparison. I am having a very hard time getting this story out of my mind.
What would God in Heavenletters™ say to do? He would say to turn our thoughts the other way. So I am going to tell you about a true story reported in the newspaper that my former eighth-grade student Wally sent to me a few days before the concert. Little did I know how much I would need to remember the heroism of this story and the lengths this little German woman went to in order to save the lives of innocent children.
Irena Sendler lived in Warsaw during the sad days of the holocaust. She wangled permission to work in the Warsaw Ghetto as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist. She smuggled infants out of the ghetto in the bottom of the tool box she carried and set the toolbox in the back of her truck. She carried the bigger children out in burlap sacks.
How could she get away with this? She had a dog in the back of the truck. She had trained the dog to bark viciously while the guards let her in and out of the ghetto. The barking covered any sounds the babies might have made and, also, the guards didn't want anything to do with the barking dog.
In this way, at the risk of her life, Irena smuggled out 2,500 children. God bless her. She also found homes for them all. God bless the families who took these children into their hearts and made them their own.
Irena kept a record of all the children she had rescued. She put the information in a glass jar and buried it under a tree in her back yard. After the war, she did everything that could be done to reunite the children with the mothers who remained.
Before the war was over, Irena was found out, had serious injuries inflicted on her and yet managed to stay alive.
Irena died at the age of 98.
Recently Irena was up for the Nobel Peace Prize. Someone else was selected. God bless that person as well.
Isn't Irena's face beautiful? Her love shows. You would think she never had a care in the world. Certainly, she was one of those angels on Earth that God tells us about.
Do you know some true short stories of heroism you can share with us here and leave out the negativity? Right now I can use all the uplifting inspiration I can get.
Comments
It's easy to say turn your thoughts the other way, but it's not so easy to do it. I remember when I read the book about Forgiveness and Child Abuse, I easily forgot all the wonderful messages about forgiveness, but it took me months to get rid of the stories of the abuse in my mind. For a long time I've been wondering whether there is something in us that is attracted to the 'evil' in this world or whether we are so indoctrinated (especially by the media) that we can't connect to our true selves anymore. Our true selves being Love, of course, the unconditional Love and joy that emanates from the face of this beautiful woman.
If everyone in the world focused on love and peace for only a few minutes, all together, the world would experience love and peace.
I believe it is our egos that get in the way. We are pure unconditional love. And if we could stay in that space, I'm sure that is what we would experience.
Irene certainly wasn't thinking of herself when she was smuggling those children out of the country. Paula is right, she is pure love and joy.
I also believe that our souls determine what we want to experience. That is how I manage to read or hear stories such as Irene's and I can bless them and pray for them. I think also, that be printing and making movies, etc. about these stories, we can put steps in place so that we do not repeat them. Everytime a story such as Irene's, or the children, or any other comes to the forefront, there is usually someone else who now takes up the cause. A group forms, or one of the abused comes forward to tell "their" story for all to hear (or at least those who will listen.
I do also agree with Paula that the media is obsessed much of the time with projecting the negatives and acts of violence and destruction - because that is what they believe sells. I wonder if only good news stories were broadcast and printed what would happen?
Interesting the the Heavenletter today speaks to all of these things.
Lot's of light ~
Lynda
Many years ago, before satellite weather forecasts and television, there was a little girl who had gotten lost in a snow storm with her younger brother. She was several kilometers from home and the storm had formed suddenly. It was just after sunset and the temperature had dropped far below freezing. She could barely see her own hands in the stinging wind and snow. From the depths of her being, she managed to trudge on a little further while carrying her brother on her back, knowing that if they did not find shelter, death was certain. Just as she was about to collapse from cold and exhaustion, she stumbled onto a mound directly in front of her. Bending down, clearing away the snow from the mound, she saw that it was an old anthill. As she quickly cleared the snow away and made a small entrance, she realised that anthill was not big enough for two. Without thinking she shoved her brother inside, pulled off most of her warm clothes and stuffed it into the anthill. She plopped down in front of the entrance exhausted, making sure the entrance was sealed with her back.
The next morning the frantic parents discovered her frozen body in front of the anthill and the brother safely asleep inside. The little girl is celebrated as a hero to this very day.
Tears heal. Specially the quiet ones.
We are both the little girl and the little boy. We are also the parents. And we are so so much more.
I love the picture of this sweet Angel of Heaven !!
thank you !