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By Grace Fox
 Numerous skinny skyscrapers dotted the Polish and Slovakian landscape as we drove from one country to the next. In rural areas they stood alone, like solitary sentries guarding the cattle and corn fields at their base. In the cities, they stood in clusters, each bearing an identification number written in a giant font on the uppermost storey. Built from concrete, the majority of these matching apartments were a dull gray color. A few stood in stark contrast, flaunting fresh coats of bright yellow, orange, or green.
These buildings are remnants from the Communist regime, my travel companion explained. In those days, most suites held two or three families who shared one bathroom, one kitchen, a sitting room, and two bedrooms. Nowadays, only one family lives in a suite. And the colored paint is new since the Wall fell, people are free to express their individuality.
Over the next two weeks, I sipped strong European coffee with national and ex-patriot hosts as story after story unfurled of life under Communist rule: accounts of Bible smuggling, of being forced to ask permission to hold church meetings and having to give a list of the attendees' names to local authorities, of workers receiving the same wage whether they were doctors or street sweepers.
I listened to these stories and then recalled one of my own the account of my great-grandfather's mysterious disappearance in Russia to a missionary from the Ukraine. He nodded knowingly. Oh yes, he said, during the Revolution, many business people were ordered to attend so-called meetings' in large cities. Those people were executed.
New Appreciation for Canada
These conversations gave me more than lessons in history; they taught me a new appreciation for my nation. Granted, we pay hefty taxes. Sometimes our politicians pull self-seeking stunts at the public's expense. Sometimes we're forced to live with laws that seem somewhat silly. We complain, we whine, and we gripe about issues we deem unfair.
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But compared to life in Eastern Europe under the former Communist rule, ours is an easy lot. In fact, compared to life today in nations such as Iraq, Sudan, and Afghanistan, it's a perpetual party. We have freedom unlike many nations on earth, and it's a treasure to be highly valued. It behooves us to recognize and appreciate this, and to help the next generation develop gratitude for our country lest they take their freedom for granted. Remembrance Day presents the ideal opportunity to accomplish this.
 Tips for Teaching Kids to Respect Freedom and its Cost
As parents we can help our kids understand the importance of freedom and the cost by which it comes. Here are a few simple tips.
Remembrance Day enables us to use the familiar red poppies to initiate conversations with kids about the cost of freedom. Tell them that the blood-red flower represents the soldiers who died in battle. Explain that their sacrifice garnered the freedom we enjoy. If you know someone who lived through a war, ask him if he'd be willing to tell a couple of stories to your kids. Discretion may be necessary, depending on the children's ages.
Talk to your kids about the importance of praying for Canada's leaders, and do it as a family. Ask God to give the leaders a desire to follow His ways. Ask Him to help them see life through His eyes. And ask Him to guard them from making wrong decisions.
Throughout the rest of the year, get involved in the lives of those who don't enjoy the freedoms we have. For instance, sign up for the Voice of the Martyrs weekly newsletter.
You'll learn about believers who are imprisoned for their faith, and occasionally you'll receive mailing addresses so you can write a letter of encouragement to them or a polite letter to their government, asking for their release.
Yes, Canadian citizens and those living in our land are a fortunate bunch. Freedom is a foreign concept to some nations, but not to ours. Let's be grateful for what we've got, and let's keep it that way.
November 29/2007
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