God is our merciful Father and the source of all comfort. He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4
The last few days and the tragic events unfolding in Ukraine have been troubling for me. I worry about my many friends and the children we serve there. I ache for the tragic loss of life and what seems to me to be insanity. One of the most beautiful cities in Europe has become hell-on-earth. The explosion of rage of an otherwise peaceful, quiet kid in the playground going berserk after being pushed too far by the local bully.
I have to physically force myself to swallow and blink when I watch YouTube video of protesters being picked off by snipers on the city streets I have walked in years past. In the next moment I have to wipe the tears welling up in my eyes when a fellow countrymen risks his life to drag the wounded from the firing line.
The endless stream of hellish photos on the internet remind me more of what the illustrated version of Dante's "Inferno" would look like.
Back in the summer of 2013 it seemed as though orphan outreach was changing. I found myself wondering what the ministry I am so passionate about would look like in a Ukraine with no more orphans. Almost worrying - "What will I do then?"
I found myself wondering, "How can I possibly encourage and mentor my friends on the ground in Ukraine when I have no frame of reference? I've never lived through a rebellion! How am I going to help them through all of this?
I have been so worried about all of my friends there. I worried about them traveling to Kiev. I worried about the unrest escalating and spreading. I feared for their well-being, their safety and their future. What if ANY of my friends were hurt or even killed in the violence?
As I wandered down the worm hole of fearful speculation, I stopped for a moment and realized...this is not about me! This is about something other than my fear.
Then something began to rise up - a thought. More of a reminder actually.
I can only live for the here and now. Only God live simultaneously in past, present, and future. Only he can live outside of time. While I can do little to change the world, I can do something to encourage, comfort, guide, and help others. No sympathy is required. Only understanding, an open ear, the symbol for a hug ((H)) in a chat message from afar, and sharing the knowledge that I have received comfort so that I can share it with others.
