Surviving a Deadly Frozen Night Through Compassion - A true story of survival and the power of warming others’ hearts
There was a Jewish man named Yankel who had a bakery in the town of Crown Heights, Germany. He always said, “You know why I’m alive today?”
He said, “I was a kid, just a teenager at the time in Germany. Nazis were killing Jews with no mercy. We were on the train being taken to Auschwitz by the Nazis. Night came, and it was deathly cold in that compartment. The Germans left us on the side of the tracks overnight, sometimes for days, without any food. There were no blankets to keep us warm. It was snowing everywhere. Cold winds were hitting our cheeks every second. There were hundreds of people on that terribly cold night. No food. No water. No shelter. No blankets “.
“The blood in our bodies started freezing. It was becoming ice. Besides me, there was a beloved elderly Jewish man from my hometown. He was shivering from head to toe, and looked terrible. So I wrapped my arms around him to warm him up. I hugged him tightly to give him some heat. I rubbed his arms, his legs, his face, his neck. I begged him to try to be alive. I encouraged him. All night long, I kept this man warm this way.
I was tired and freezing cold myself. My fingers were numb, but I didn’t stop rubbing heat into that old man’s body. Hours and hours went by. Finally, morning came and the sun began to shine. I looked around to see the other people. To my horror, all I could see were frozen bodies. All people died. All I could hear was a deathly silence.
Nobody else in that cabin was alive. That freezing night killed all people. They died from the cold. Only two people survived: the old man and me.
The old man survived because I kept him warm…and I survived because I was warming him.
May I tell you the secret to survival in this world? When you warm other people’s hearts, you will remain warm yourself. When you support, encourage, and inspire others, then you will discover support, encouragement, and inspiration in your own life as well. My friends, that is the secret to a happy life.”
— Author Unknown
Meditation: Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. – Galatians 6:2
Through the Love of Christ, Our Savior, All Will Be Well!
Also read:
- The Test of the Lord: A Daily Reminder to Give Thanks
- Understanding God: He Does Not Condone Nonsense
- Understanding God: God of the Beginning
- Is Your Good Idea God’s Idea? Aligning Plans With His Will
- Taking the High Road: Choosing God’s Way in Life’s Decisions
- Finding Peace and Safety in Jesus: An Introvert’s Testimony
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