Counting, and Sharing, our Blessings

Yes, it is Christmas time again. The hustle and bustle of the frantic shopping, partying, and traveling are catching up with all of us. I hope that at this time of the year we all slow down, count our many blessings, and realize how good our lives are. We all have our issues and problems, but for the most part, they are inconveniences and minor difficulties. My recent trip to Cameroon, Africa, made me acutely aware of that when I met a surgical resident from the Republic of the Congo. He is a nice young doctor who is working hard to become a good surgeon. One day he seemed a bit preoccupied and with some prompting, he related that he had just received word that rebels had overrun his village, killing everyone in sight. His parents and family were thought to have escaped into the woods, but no one knew for sure. It was about 3 days later before he heard that his family was safe. When was the last time you had to worry about someone killing your family members? I was relating that story to someone at church when they asked if I knew about the gentleman from Liberia who sits 2 rows in front of me each Sunday. I had met the gentleman and his wife but was unaware of his story of how he got to the United States from Liberia. Mr. John Gonleh and his family were a normal Liberian family with good jobs and a home. Everything was turned upside down in 1990 when the president began a killing spree against those not of the same African tribe. The upheaval began on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, Mr. Gonleh’s tribe was marked for persecution and possibly death. One afternoon one of the president’s death squads arrived at his home. After a very frightening encounter and beating, he was hustled off to prison where he joined 100 other prisoners. After more beatings, all of them were loaded into a truck and taken to a field not far from the prison. After leaving the truck they were herded together and told to stand completely still. One of the guards then told Mr. Gonleh to go to the center of the group and begin praying for the men. He did as he was told. As he began to pray, bullets began to fly. The guards had encircled the group and were firing automatic weapons at them. The guards were thorough and efficient. Since the men were being shot from all directions, the dead and dying fell back toward the center covering Mr. Gonleh. After what seemed like an eternity, the shooting finally stopped. Under the weight of the bodies on top of him, Mr. Gohleh thought he was alive but wasn’t sure. He was dazed but knew enough to stay still. Soon he heard the truck leave. After some struggling he was able to free himself from the pile of bodies that was several feet high in the center. Although covered with blood and in shock, he was alive! The other 100 men were dead.   After much suffering and struggling, Mr. Gonleh, his wife, and 6 of his 9 children escaped to the Ivory Coast and subsequently to the United States. Through the help of many people in Africa and the United States, Mr. Gohleh and his family have started a new life in Montgomery, Alabama. The Gonlehs have written a book about their experience.¹ How fortunate we in North America are that this Christmas Eve we are not likely to have a death squad beat down our doors to take us hostage! Our concerns seem trivial in comparison. During this Holiday Season, let us all give thanks for our blessings. As an expression of our gratitude, why not share our blessings with those who are not so fortunate? Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.

“Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me ” Psalms 23:4 NIV