Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Romans 12:8-9
I’ve been researching my Polish heritage in order to write a book. I’m stuck in the 1950’s, a post war world era which was changing life in America rapidly. There was victory and rejoicing in the lives of many. Others dealt with the scars of war, even here in America. Life was slower after the war, but that was changing for both men and women.
My heart goes out to the men and women who placed the lives of others before themselves, as they sat in the trenches of many foreign places. The devotion of those who stayed stateside also amazes me. Women filing into the workplace, while men fought for freedom. Sixty percent of produce was grown in “Victory Gardens”. Many people purchased war bonds; money used to help war efforts. Rationing also controlled the distribution of scarce resources, goods, or services. Civilians also received rationing books. These were some of the rationed items in 1942: typewriters, gasoline, bicycles, shoes, rubber footwear, silk, nylon, fuel oil, and stoves. In 1943 other things were added: meat, lard, shortening and food oils, cheese, butter, margarine, processed foods (canned, bottled, and frozen), dried fruits, canned milk, firewood and coal, jams, jellies, and fruit butter. To think, we complain about gas prices going up!
Where’s the application in all my pondering! “Hate what is evil and cling to what is good.” That is what WWII was about; stopping evil and holding on to what was good. The same lesson also rings clear for today in everyday life. May your love for those around you always be sincere, as you serve in your families, churches, neighborhoods and communities.
Patti Wolf 