Folks, you know that Israel is at war. When the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, the United States was forced into war. We didn’t just respond in a proportionate manner. The United States went after the bad guys. This country fought until Japan surrendered. This is history. We are alive now and eye witness to another barbaric act of evil directed towards an ally of the US. Acts of evil were committed on men, women, children and infant babies. The world knows this because the evil ones filmed the brutality of their crimes. Babies decapitated, pregnant mothers sliced opened. There is no justification for this. NONE! Hamas will not let innocent Palestinians leave Gaza. Other nearby Islamic countries have stated they will not receive refugees from Gaza if they are allowed to leave.
Veteran’s Day is Nov. 11th. Do people under the age of 35 even know why that day is recognized as special? My dad, my wife’s dad, and three of my uncles fought in WW II. Veterans day is special for the purpose of paying honor and tribute to those men and women who served this country in its military forces. My wife and I, in our travels, have visited many memorials to our veterans. Two stand out as among the best. The Bamberg, SC memorial will bring a tear to your eye. Presenting all of the military branches of service, it is beautifully landscaped. Well done. Guin, Alabama has a multi-colored artistic mural painted on a wall in downtown, honoring our current and fallen veterans. Absolutely magnificent. Both require respect and thanksgiving.
What town and state were you born in? What country were you born in? I suggest each of us think on this question. Do you feel safe in your home? Do you have a warm bed to sleep in at night? Do you have food to eat, water to drink, and clothes to wear? If you have these things, be thankful. Each one required work and sacrifice. An added benefit that we to often take for granted is our freedom. Freedom has allowed us, you and me, to have and maintain, the world’s highest standard of living. If that were not the case, then why do so many people desire to come here? There are a few who come here to destroy what you and I have.
I did not choose to be born in Monroeville, Alabama. I did not choose to be born in the United States. I did not choose my parents. So how did all these blessings happen? I think Paul the apostle, states a good answer as to how these things came to be. In First Corinthians, of the Holy Bible, chapter 15, verse 10, Paul says, “But, by the Grace of God, I am what I am.” What he is saying is; if not for the Grace of God, he could be living in different circumstances. Does this mean that others who are less fortunate, the victims of Hamas, have no grace? No, absolutely not. Grace is there for all who believe and grace is there for the young and innocent. Evil exists in this world and it should be opposed. God’s grace is there for you and me, and it is by that alone that I am here and not somewhere else. It is true for me and it is true for you.
Walter Allen has a BA degree from Auburn University and is retired from the paper industry. He is a published author and lives in Laurens County.
