Who's Watching the Kids?

Yesterday, I had the honor of attending my aunt's 90th birthday celebration. This dear old woman, whom I am named after, has lived a pretty fascinating life. Her stories have kept me riveted to her side more than once, but yesterday she told me one that blew me away. Aunt Mimi was responding to a question I had asked about a photo she had of her in Hitler's bathtub.

As the wife of an Army officer stationed in Germany shortly after the end of WWII, as well as having position to get into certain places, they went to Hitler's former chalet with two other couples. As I understand it, a little drinking may have taken place as they walked out to the almost completely destroyed chalet. The American forces did not want anyone to make Hitler's home a shrine, so it had been all but wiped off the face of the earth, but the bathtub remained. So one by one they climbed in and snapped pictures. She is a true Southern lady, but I got the impression they did this in the spirit of spitting on his grave.

That alone was a pretty good story but she leaned in and said, "Did I ever tell you about sitting in the gallery of the Nuremburg Trials?" WHAT? My mouth dropped open as she began the story. She spoke of the woman doctor and the other evil monsters on trial. Her righteous anger growing as she quietly spoke of the horrors displayed as evidence. Tears welled in her eyes as she went back to those days. She was sickened but felt she HAD to be there to witness these devils would not get away with their sins.

Again, that story was pretty amazing. She said, "Do you have time for one more?" Are you kidding me? YES!!! Aunt MImi: "We had met a nice bartender on the base named Rolf. He made fairly good drinks and we enjoyed talking with him. One day we wanted to go to a movie but could not find a sitter for our two small children. Rolf volunteered to watch them and off we went. Before the movie even started, I felt something was terribly wrong and we went home where all was fine. The next day we went to the bar and heard Rolf had been taken away but we didn't know why. A short time later, the trial began and I was sitting in the front row of the gallery as the defendants were escorted in. The second man in the line was Rolf! He looked me in the eye and gave a little wave. I felt sick to my stomach and almost left. How dare he even greet me like that? I became all the more committed to see this through. It is no wonder I felt the need to return home. A man who had been responsible for so much horror, I had unknowingly allowed in our apartment with our children."

Sadly, the time had arrived for me to leave the birthday celebration and head back to Atlanta. I could have sat at my aunt's feet for hours more and I regretted all the years that I wasted not doing just that. I hugged her extra tight and thanked her for telling me these stories. There are friends of mine from high school who had family members lost to this terrible scar on history. And not only family members but over a million others lost because an evil group came to such terrible power. There is a Proverb which reads, "Be assured, your sin will find you out." there is no escape for the evil. Maybe not where we can see it, but God certainly sees and will see to them.