I Cooked Pierogi in their honor; but Ukranian Refugees are Starving … and Dying.

I didn’t want to use these words in my blog, but honestly; I have felt helpless and hopeless over the war in Ukraine. I’ve tried to tap into my talents and abilities. What can I do? How can I help?

I started with prayer, and then I began writing blog posts about the war and why it is biblical for Ukraine to fight in it. I bought tee shirts to show my support. I researched ways to help from home and wrote about it. I wrote a letter to Ukraine. I’ve joined Ukrainian prayer groups. I’ve connected with a few Ukrainians. I’m praying for Ukrainian refugees and for the countries caring for them. I’ve kept up with the news, because I feel I should know what’s going on, instead of going about my life normally. It’s not enough.

I’ve looked into attending an anti-war protest, where to help with packing things for Ukraine refugees; and considered selling the jewelry I make, and giving the proceeds to Ukraine. Today, I bought Ukrainian food from a foreign grocery. It was a tiny way to show my support for Ukraine. The meal I made reminded me, and my family, to keep praying for Ukraine’s beautiful country and its even more beautiful people. It’s not enough.

However, these are my small ways to begin to get involved; to do anything I can think of to get out there and talk with other people about this horrific war, and about how we need God and Jesus more than ever.

This morning, I drove down near Washington DC for my specialist appointment, wearing my “I Stand with Ukraine” tee shirt. I received several thumbs up signs and nods of approval. A nurse looked at me, and without words; she used her hands to outline her body, emphasizing that she felt the same way; she was standing with Ukraine too. Wearing the shirt isn’t about being a good person. It’s a way to communicate, “Hey, we’re in this together. Let’s keep praying for Ukraine and doing what we can.” The resulting conversations have made me thankful that others are praying as well.

At the next doctor’s office, the tee shirt brought me information about a nearby church which was packing items for Ukraine. This is something I’ve been wanting to do. It fueled me into looking for ways to help locally; even closer to where I live.

Afterwards, I went to a small Russian Ukrainian Eastern European grocery store called Troika Gastronom. I ran into a Chinese American woman who said she was there too, because she wanted to support Ukraine. She wanted to buy only a small parcel of sausage, but the owner didn’t speak much English. I believe he was Iranian, from what I was able to gather about his life in the village where grew up. He kindly kept offering the sweet woman an entire sausage; telling her he was sorry he didn’t understand much English. I asked him if he spoke French, knowing it’s a common language spoken throughout Europe. I translated in French, adding hand gestures, and he suddenly understood. He began to cut the sausage, and he and the woman both thanked me. It was only a small thing, but I thought of how nice it was that three different races came together, if just for a moment. We were all on the same page, hoping and praying this horrific war will come to an end.

As I put the pierogi, dumplings, and Ukranian farm cheese into the back of my car; I felt sorrow. How much would the people in Ukraine love to be packing groceries into their cars, heading home to make their favorite, familiar foods, and sitting around the table with their beloved family and friends? They would like it very, very much.

If I hadn’t dealt with the life-sucking evil spirit of guilt years ago; today it would have eaten me alive. Instead, I prayed for the people of Ukraine as I loaded my groceries into the car. I prayed for them on the way home. We prayed for them before our Eastern European dinner, and again before we went to bed.

Nothing I’ve done, or will do, can be enough. The war has claimed the lives of so many innocent people, and changed millions of lives forever. The war is threatening to erase an entire race of people, just as it did with the Jews in World War II. I’m nobody special with an ability to change anything as I reluctantly watch the news with tears in my eyes, seething with anger, crazy impatient to make a difference. Or am I?

The silver lining is that I can make a difference because I am special to God. I’m His child, so He hears my prayers. He hears yours too. And we, believers in Christ, can pray together and God will hear us. We may not understand the bigger picture, and we may not like it. Right now, we downright, absolutely hate it. But the Bible promises that when two or three agree in prayer, and gather in His name, He is in our midst. “ ‘Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them’ “ (Mt. 18: 19-20 NIV).

Brothers and sisters in Christ, if you want to make a difference, do whatever God calls you to do, but do it prayerfully. Let’s pray without ceasing, Prayer IS working. Ukranians have reported some miraculous things. PRAY for Ukraine. God hears us, and He will answer.