Time to Pray

War on my mind.

I had a post ready to publish this week but couldn’t get the war between the Ukraine and Russia out of my mind. Though the war has yet to touch Americans in a daily-existence kind of way, the lives of people in the Ukraine, Russia, and their neighboring countries are feeling the immediate impact on their life routines, dreams and hopes, loved ones, and government.

People on my heart.

It’s easy to pick sides and have opinions, but I don’t want to lose sight of the people. Just like I am not responsible for a decision our commander-in-chief makes, neither is any citizen of any country responsible for the decisions of their highest leader. Life is happening to the citizens of all countries involved.

After writing this post I am going grocery shopping while other families far away are finding bomb shelters, listening for sounds in the skies preceding air strikes, and feeling the ground tremble from the use of artillery and tanks. I will be enjoying my family being home while others are saying good-bye to their spouse and children as they leave for safety, while they stay home to fight. I can’t imagine the heaving sobs that would overtake my body if I were saying goodbye to my son today, or the chill that would run through my body if a weapon was placed in my hands for use.

Let’s empathize.

Let’s step into their fear, the same fear we would have. Whatever you choose to pray today, pray what you would want someone to pray for you if your country went to war this week. Every man, woman, teen, child and infant is an image bearer of God and a person Jesus died for. May each person searching for stability and truth in the chaos of war find their true source of strength in God.

Let’s pray.

As you bow your head today, I am too.

Picture Explanation: May God show up in hard places and to do so in visible ways. No prayers are wasted.

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