Please Lord, Cover Their Skies: By Mary Wroblewski
How, in what we believed to be a civilized world do we have a world power invade a sovereign developed nation without provocation? Not a question I can answer, but this is what my heart has been pondering since the beginning of the invasion of Ukraine by Russia.
Ukraine, is the birth country of our only granddaughters, and the reality that it will not be habitable for a very long time is hard to imagine. Their orphanage located in Vinnytsia was thankfully safely evacuated outside the country amid the air raids. But there are still many of their friends that remained within the country unable to leave. Survivor’s guilt is the only term I can use to describe what our son, daughter-in-law, grandsons and granddaughters are experiencing as they scramble to assist the many friends still in Ukraine. As parents and grandparents, we would protect our chickadees with our lives, but this is a pain that we cannot ease. So, we lend support where we can by donating to Ukraine relief organizations, making ourselves available emotionally and physically (if needed), and PRAY. They have been devastated by the events of the last month in Ukraine, a heartbreak that becomes tragically deeper each day, an atrocity that will now forever be with us.
Our granddaughters are strong, spunky, bright, resourceful, driven, and beautiful inside and out with can-do spirit in spades. They captured our hearts the moment we met them. I’d attributed some of that drive and resourcefulness to having grown up in an orphanage, but admittedly lots of it is their personalities and the “Sunflower” spin they color their world in. However, now, seeing how valiantly their countrymen are standing up and defending their nation, what they believe in, as well as democracy itself; I see “The Heart of Ukraine” in our girls. A heart that beats as one for freedom from tyranny for All in Ukraine. A heart and a spirit that wants every dark corner of the world to hear freedom ring.
If you have been following along in the news, you will know that Ukraine and her countrymen have a long history of tyranny, genocide and enslavement by Russia, Germany and others. They desire only to maintain their sovereignty as a nation and live in peace. Isn’t that what we all want?
There are many organizations that you can donate to that will help support the people of the Ukraine. Two of the many that I recommend are the Samaritan Purse and Catholic Relief.
As we remember the passion of Christ during these last weeks of Lent and praise His resurrection on Easter Sunday, please join me in praying for all the people of Ukraine; for God to cover their skies with the blood of the Lamb, and for the PEACE God intended for our world.
