“Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  Matthew 19:14

The year was 1941, the city was Warsaw, Poland.  The woman known as “Jolanta” took the crying baby into her arms, turned her back on the hysterical mother, and walked off into the night.  If she was caught, she and the baby would die!  “Promise me my child will live?” the mother cried desperately after her. She turned for a moment.  “I can’t promise that, but I can promise that if he stays with you, he will die.”

Irena Sendler, code name “Jolanta,” has seen this image in her dreams countless times over the years, heard the children’s cries as they were pulled from their mothers’ grasp.  Each time it is another mother screaming.  To the children, she seemed like a merciless captor; truthfully, she was the agent to save their lives!  Mrs. Sendler smuggled 2,500 children out of the Warsaw Ghetto during the last three months before its liquidation at the hands of the Nazis.  She found a home for every child.  Each was given a new name and a new identity as a Christian.  Others were saving Jewish children, too, but many of them were saved only in body.  Tragically, they disappeared from the Jewish people.  Irena did her best to ensure that “her children” would have a future as part of their own people.  She listed the names of each rescued child, and buried the lists in a jar.  Her hope was that they would be reunited with their families after the war.  Although, most of their parents perished in the Warsaw Ghetto or in Treblinka, those children who had surviving relatives were returned to them after the war.   Irena didn’t see herself as a heroine.  She said, “I only did what was normal.  I could have done more.  This regret will follow me to my death.”

In 1943, the Gestapo caught up with Irena and she was arrested, imprisoned and tortured.  She bore the results of those injuries for the rest of her life.  In 1965, she was awarded the Yad Vashem medal for the “Righteous Among the Nations.”

This story reminds me of what Jesus did for us.  He came to this earth as the Son of God. “He died for our sins according to the scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”  1 Corinthians 15:3-4.  He is able to deliver ALL who come to Him.  Irena was able to rescue some of the children, many others died.  Jesus is able to rescue all who come to him.  “Therefore, He is able to save completely those who come to God through Him, because He always lives to intercede for them.”  Hebrews 7:25.  Irena gave life and a future to some, Jesus came that “we might have life, and have it to the full,” John 10:10.  Jesus stands with His arms outstretched saying, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  Matthew 11:28.   When we come to Christ, we also are given a new name (Christian), a new identity (follower of Christ) and our future is secure!

Choose life with Christ!

Your friend, Jean