Reflections by a Ukrainian Woman
We have all seen and read about the terrible events occurring in Ukraine right now. Three weeks ago, when Russia first invaded Ukraine, it took a few days for the news to really sink in for us all. It is so difficult to see images of destroyed apartment buildings, mass graves, and displaced Ukrainians leaving all of their belongings behind to escape danger. As a mother of young children, I can’t begin to imagine being in that situation. The way this war is unfolding is cruel, horrendous, and difficult to watch.
We appreciate the concern, care, and thoughtful words from the congregation concerning the Ukrainian people. My husband (Serge) and I both have extended relatives in the western regions of Ukraine, and as of today, we are thankful that they are all safe and not experiencing aggressive attacks and bombings by the Russian government. We feel that we are united with others who are lifting up the country of Ukraine and its believers in prayer and support.
We were young children when we immigrated from the Ukraine, and we have considered ourselves American, but with very non-American names. I feel very privileged and blessed to have moved to the best country in the world and have had the opportunity to live here peacefully all this time. As I share the things that have been on my heart, I can only attest to the history of Ukraine and what I've seen from being in the midst of Ukrainian believers. Lately, I struggle to know what is true in what I see on my screen from the media. Like my parents and grandparents who didn’t trust their corrupt government and were fed propaganda messages, I’ve been learning to consume what I know is TRUTH, something that has never changed and will never change: God’s Word.
Because of recent events, I am increasingly longing for God’s Word and His truth. Every morning’s devotional and Abide passage, every worship song, and every sermon is like a salve for my heart. I imagine the Ukrainian people are clinging to God’s Word extra tightly during this uncertain time.
Growing up in a Ukrainian church, I saw that the congregation had a deep-rooted faith that stemmed from the hardships that they and their ancestors faced in their lives. We heard numerous stories from our parents and from the pulpit, of hunger and poverty and cruel treatment, simply because of their faith. As I think back on these times, I am reminded of Paul’s encouragement in Romans 5:3-4 “...we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” The church truly had suffered for their faith and endured hardship, and because of that, they were and ARE strong in their faith and convictions, and they know that they can rely on Christ, the solid rock.
My grandfather spoke and wrote about serving in the Soviet army and his underground involvement with printing Christian literature and smuggling Bibles, which was illegal and punishable by long prison sentences. There were numerous miraculous instances where God saved him from spiritual and physical harm. The ways that the Lord allowed Christians to continue worshiping and reading His Word is so encouraging to me today! The people simply valued their Bibles more than they valued physical food. God’s Word and His promises were what got them through the hard days and hard years. Jesus, after fasting in the wilderness for forty days said,“...Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” Matthew 4:4.
Hard times like my grandpa’s war stories and today’s events in Ukraine are nothing new. The Ukrainian people have been struggling to maintain their independence and freedom for decades. The mass genocide of Ukrainians in the 1933 “Holodomor” attempted to wipe out the entire Ukrainian population by starvation, initiated by Stalin. The stories from the year of Holodomor are atrocious. It is estimated that anywhere from 4 to 7 million people in Ukraine perished in just one year. Again, my husband and I heard stories of people’s grandmothers and great-grandmothers who lived through the Holodomor and survived miraculously by trusting in the Lord.
We have to remember that these events in history didn’t occur that long ago. I don’t share these things so that you will feel sorry for Ukrainians, or that you’d hold them in a higher regard. I share these stories with you because we, too, are not promised a peaceful, trial-free life. Believers all over the world have been suffering quietly, some for the sake of the gospel, and some simply because of the evil that is in this world. If you are a believer, you know this and you have accepted that we are to welcome trials and any kind of testing of our faith. We are to always stand firm and “not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice insofar as you share Christ's sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed” 1 Peter 4:12-13.
The promise of peace and the promise of true rest is not conditional on what we see in the events unfolding before us. If we are grounded in God’s truth, if we believe that what the Lord said to us in His word is true, we can confidently declare to ourselves and to other believers the words that Paul encouraged us with, “...The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:5-7.
This is my prayer for the Ukrainian people during this time. I pray that the believers would experience this peace, and that they wouldn’t be afraid. What an opportunity to show the light of Christ during these dark times, when so many people are frightened and there are so many unknowns! We were planning to visit our home country in summer 2023, but now aren’t sure if Ukraine will even exist. I can cling to God’s promise of entering His Kingdom, a Better Country, just as the men and women who died in faith, who acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. “They desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared for them a city” Hebrews 11:16”.
I want to close with this image that has stuck in my mind and will hopefully be encouraging to you. Serge shared a video of his relatives gathered in a bunker, “practicing” for when the threat comes closer to their village. They were worshiping God in that bunker, singing praises to our Lord, and reading aloud from Psalm 91:
