Friday, July 11, 2008

The Power of a Sacrifice


May 12th marked the death of a 98 year old lady named Irena.

During WWII, Irena, got permission to work in the Warsaw Ghetto, as a Plumbing/Sewer specialist ...

She had an ulterior motive...

She KNEW what the Nazis plans were for the Jews, (being German).

Irena smuggled infants out in the bottom of her tool box she carried, and she carried in the back of her truck a Burlap sack, (for larger kids).

She also had a dog in the back, that she trained to bark when the Nazi soldiers let her in, and out of the ghetto.

The soldiers of course wanted nothing to do with the dog, and the barking covered the kids/infants noises.

During her time and course of doing this, she managed to smuggle out and save 2500 kids/infants.

She was caught, and the Nazis broke both her legs, and arms, and beat her severely.

Irena kept a record of the names of all the kids she smuggled out, and kept them in a glass jar, buried under a tree in her backyard.

After the war, she tried to locate any parents that may have survived it, and reunited the family. Most of course had been gassed.

Those kids she helped got placed into foster family homes, or adopted.

Last year, Irena was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize ...

She LOST.

Al Gore won, for doing a slide show on Global Warming.

Check out more of her story here: http://www.irenasendler.org/

I wanted to share this story because I thought it was rather incredible how unselfish this woman was ... not only to sacrifice her own life, but to ultimately lay it down for someone else. Hmmm ... it reminds me of another familiar story, that you all might already know ... it's about a man named Jesus, and how he came and died so that we might live ...

3 comments:

Hermi said...

Hm. Nice way to point out that she lost to Al Gore. Isn't it always the big shot men that take away the notoriety. Ok, not always. I am glad when Jesus get the glory anyway!

Head vs Heart said...

Wow, what a life!!!!! Its amazing how easy we have it. There are people like Irena who do/did TRULY INCREDIBLE THINGS in life. She probably didn't realize how incredible of a thing she was doing. She did what she knew was right - no matter what the cost. It just makes me think about all the tragedies that are occurring daily of the same magnitude in places such as Darfur, and even in remote places of Asia, etc - and even within our own country's borders where children and young women are being kidnapped and sold into black market slavery and they are doing what they can to survive and save themselves and each other.

I hope that Miss Irena was honored greatly for her selfless acts of human kindness in some other way here while she was on this earth. Politics and other B.S. stood in the way of a Nobel Peace Prize for her - but that's really ok. When Al Gore received this prize, it made a mockery and example out of the so-called prestigious awards we can attain on this earth. The true rewards are just where they should be - in Heaven, given to us by our Father, the true Author of Love.

Love you, friend!

{Emily} Hey Sisters! Photography said...

Thank you for your awesome words! It's amazing what people are willing to do to save another life! Very inspiring! Thank you for reading! Many blessings!