H
enry Flescher was 93 years old and enjoying life to the full, when he was nearly killed by a freight train. He had taken a wrong turn, and because it was very dark, he took the curve too fast, causing his car wheels to become stuck on the tracks. He soon realized that a freight train was fast approaching the crossing, but at the same time, he realized that he couldn’t get out of his car!
Natalie Grant, who was sitting in her car nearby, took out her iPhone and started to record what was happening. A group of people ran to help Mr. Flescher and pulled him out of his car a minute or two before the train tore into his car. The video ends with the deafening sound of crunching metal.
When interviewed by WSVN, Grant said she felt it was a miracle that Mr. Flescher had been pulled out in time, and definitely a miracle that her car had not been damaged, as Flescher’s car had slid in front of her car, barely missing it. “I definitely think God was looking out. I just think it wasn’t his time yet. He still has more work to do on earth,” she said.
Yes, God has His eyes on every one of us. “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest [made known] in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:1313Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do. (Hebrews 4:13)). Not only that, but our very breath is in His hands. “In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:1010In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. (Job 12:10)). Graciously, God spared Mr. Flescher’s life this time, and, as our story will further show, God had spared his life many times before this.
A Survivor So Far
Henry Flescher was also grateful to the good Samaritans who had saved his life, and made sure to thank them. “I’m a survivor so far. I’ve survived a lot of things,” he said. “I’m very active, thank God. I’m doing things, and it pays back.”
What did Henry mean by saying that he was a survivor and had “survived a lot of things”? Not only had he survived the Holocaust, but he had survived being interred in seven different concentration camps. His story is a long list of narrow escapes.
At 92, he hosted a Reddit AMA (Ask Me Anything) forum where he told of his experiences during the Holocaust, how he survived, and how he views life now. The interest was so great that he received over 7,000 questions!
He had been born in Vienna, but escaped to France in WW2, where he was captured in Lyon trying to buy grapes at a market.
At 18, he was put on a train for Auschwitz with no food or water and only one bucket for those crammed into the cattle car. It is hard to imagine surviving in such inhumane conditions and impossible to imagine the smell! After six days, the Germans took 300 men off the car, while the rest were sent on to Auschwitz to be killed. Henry was number 298. Understandably, he says that he will never forget the number 298, having escaped death by a margin of three.
Life in the concentration camps was both cruel and brutal. After being taken off the train, he was sent to a shoe factory at the Ohrdruf concentration camp for four weeks. He was then transferred to Peiskretscham where he worked on bridges, from 6:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening. After a few months, it was on to Blechhammer, a particularly brutal place. He described it as “hell.” This is where his front teeth got knocked out, and a friend of his was hanged because he had used a telephone wire as a belt to hold up his pants. Punishments were part of the daily routine.
The Gross Rosen concentration camp was next. Becoming sick with dysentery, he almost gave up hope of living. When asked how he survived, he replied, “I lived for tomorrow. I was always positive. I have always believed in God. Before and after. God didn’t kill the people; the Nazis did.”
Things were so desperate at this camp that some of the inmates risked their lives to kill a dog, then cooked it, and ate it in secret. He said it was a “feast,” the best meal that they had had in a long time. But now, he says, “these days I prefer steak.”
He finally won his freedom in 1945 by slipping away from a death march and hiding out in a chicken coop until he met up with some American soldiers. By then, he was very sick, barely weighing 66 pounds.
Henry still bears the mark of the Holocaust — a tattoo on his arm received at Auschwitz — the only camp that tattooed prisoners for identification.
Life and Eternity
His experiences have given him a certain perspective on life. He says that while most people are never happy and complain too much, he enjoys life and finds it beautiful. “I didn’t personally learn anything from the Holocaust. We have one life to live, and you have to enjoy it. There is no room for hate in this world,” he said. When someone asked him if he could forgive those who had committed such atrocities, he replied that he would “never forgive, never forget” what had happened, though he was not consumed with hate. “Hate doesn’t improve anything,” he said.
Many of the sentiments expressed by Mr. Flescher are very noble and good. If this world were free of hatred and men treated one another as they should, who can deny that this world would be a better place? Most of us do naturally respond according to how we are treated by others. Mr. Flescher’s comment, “I’m doing things, and it pays back,” meaning he is doing many good deeds and being rewarded for it, has some truth to it as far as our life here on earth goes. But what about after we die? What does God have to say about our “good works” now and then?
Like Mr. Flescher, many people say they believe in God, and they even say nice things about Him. They think because they acknowledge that there is a God and do good works, such as giving to the poor, being kind, truthful, just and upright, this will earn them a place in heaven. But this is not the truth. It is just one of Satan’s lies. The Lord Jesus addressed this very issue when He said, “Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father which is in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name? and in Thy name have cast out devils? and in Thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity” (Matthew 7:21-2321Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21‑23)).
Picture it! It is just as if you were to stand before the Lord and say, “But Lord! I’m a good person! I never hurt anybody, and I lived the best life that I could possibly live! I did the very best that I could do!” But the Lord’s answer will be, “I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity.” The Lord is telling us that only those who do “the will of My Father which is in heaven” will be truly saved. Because “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:2323For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; (Romans 3:23)), we are told that “all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:66But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. (Isaiah 64:6)). Because we have all sinned, we have fallen short of God’s perfect standard. Therefore, we are powerless to save ourselves. Because God is not willing that any should perish, He had pity on us and sent His Son to die on Calvary’s cross for our sins. His blood cleanses us from all unrighteousness in God’s sight, if we will put our trust in Him. When we admit to God that we have sinned and ask Him to forgive our sins for Jesus’ sake, He will forgive us. “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved” (Acts 16:3131And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. (Acts 16:31)). This is how we have “repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:2121Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. (Acts 20:21)). Only then can we be certain of eternal life.
God has given Mr. Flescher 93 years to come to Him. He is graciously giving you an opportunity to come to Him before it is too late — the law of averages dictates that most of us will not live to be 93 years old. Why not accept His gift of salvation now, and live for Him because you love Him?
Receiving God’s goodness and giving Him credit for it isn’t easy for us to do. Consider what God says about that in The Life of “Your Own Hands.”