Hello my small amount of readers. I have been sick and had some laziness so this is my first post in quite a bit. I have had the joy of seeing an amazing speaker this week. He was a very old soul who has had it rough. He was a survivor of the Holocaust. He was in Austria at the beginning of the war. His father was sent away to a forced labor camp. He told a large group of high schoolers his story, and how his life was shaped with the love of total strangers. It was a very touching story.

He was in his twenties at the time. His father was an accountant, but was forced into a labor camp. He was offered a job in a factory that built war supplies. Once he was accepted to the job he had to leave his home and go to live near his job. As he was off to the job he didn't have any idea that he was never going to see the rest of his family ever again. As he left the house his grandmother approached him, she had someone who she wanted him to meet. It was a priest. He placed a prayer shawl over his head and said a prayer. After that he left and was off on to the job.

Bombs attacked the building all the time. Air raids attacked the factory trying to stop the building of tanks and other war time goods. During one of the air raids he went to the factory shelter to be safe from the bombs. A man told him that there was no room for a Jew in the shelter. He was struck with some fire and some other pieces of bomb in the chest.

He made it by the war by the skin of his teeth. He was helped by many strangers. One was a woman who saw him marching with a group of Russians. She informed him that they were marching to Siberia, by the time he was done talking the group was gone. She saved him from a horrid winter. Another person to help him was a stranger. He had no where to stay and this man let him into his home and feed him and gave him a place to stay for the night.

After he had told us of his life and his travels we got to ask him questions. Being known for questions I raised my hand and asked the first question. "Did seeing the horrors of what was happening in that war affect your faith?" He answered No. He stated that he thinks that the only thing that saved him from death was a God. He explained that he would never hate a god who was not in control. God was sacred and if he did it than he would not question. He still thanks that priest for the blessing that he placed over him, he attributes that blessing to his safety today.

He was a truly beautiful human being. He kept telling us that he would never lose his faith. Even with death of many he loved, after he lost it all, he had a stronger faith than before. It is amazing to know that God was not lost in all that turmoil. The Holocaust was a very traumatic thing for many, and many lost all faith in God. Knowing that some people got closer because of it makes me certain that God is still a force in this world.

I will not press religion on anyone, I have no right to. I am not a religious person. What ever God or Goddess or what ever you believe you should know that your higher power is always with you. Even in your darkest hour you are always held in the arms of your savior. If a man who has lost it all, lost his people, lost his family , can still have his faith. You can have yours. Listen to your Gods words and let him into you and let him be a shoulder you can cry on. Religion is a beautiful but scary thing. Let it save you. Thank you for reading. I know this is not my usual self help post, but it was a real eye opener for me. If you have any topics that you want me to cover Email me at reach.zach.davis@gmail.com. Again thank you.