Much is being said about the sad toll the Corona virus is taking on the World War II Generation.
Let me tell you about a man from that time whom I knew and loved. Like many of his peers, his prosperity and physical stamina were a product of his spiritual strength.
My uncle was born in Germany. His family was one of the last Jewish families in his town to flee the fascists. One day, Nazi youth hung him by his neck from a tree to “rid themselves of the Jew plague.” By the Grace of God a farmer rode by as he was breathing his last breath, and cut him down. Shortly thereafter his family was on a ship to America.
In those days, U. S. immigration officials were rightfully selective about who they let into the country, even with refugees from persecution. They asked the young teen why they should grant him entry. He basically told them that he had just escaped the clutches of evil, and if they gave him the chance, he would gladly join the fight to defeat it.
So they did. He learned English on the fly and made it through high school; joined the US Navy; and served in the Pacific when we defeated Japan.
He continued to serve his adopted home country of America as a probationary social worker for the City of New York. In a career that lasted over fifty years, he earned a reputation as a man committed to fairness and justice.
And he became rich.
Sure, he made good money and invested it wisely. He and my aunt lived comfortably, and took care of the people they loved.
On a daily basis, he tracked the performance of his various accounts. But you know what else he counted? His blessings. Every day he reminded himself of how fortunate he was to be alive, to be able to live comfortably in the best country in the world, with a woman he loved.
His wealth spread far beyond the balances of his accounts. It reached the vast multitude of people he had encountered in his long life – family, judges, criminals, neighbors, fellow soldiers. Each one of us was made spiritually richer by him because we also learned how to count the endless flow of blessings that come into our own lives.
His influence is as important today as it ever was.
Are you concerned about running out of money? Food? Toilet paper? Well and good.
For a change of pace, try counting your blessings. You will never run short.