From Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 651):
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Psalm 51:10-11
The other day, when talking to my mom on my way to school, I said something like, “I just hope we don’t have an air raid during my lessons.” I was surprised when Mom pointed out that I could just wish we didn’t have an air raid at all. That shows how our thinking is affected by this war. For example, I can feel grateful when we have an air raid on a day off when we are home together, even though there is little to be thankful for. Or we remind ourselves to be grateful that we’ve had electricity during air raids so far or that they are not that frequent (compared to last year). Of course, it’s crucial to have a grateful heart and notice God’s blessings, but it’s also disheartening to see how we are used to entirely abnormal circumstances. When I saw a report this morning that Ukrainian air defense shot down 41 of 48 kamikaze drones last night, I was shocked with my immediate reaction — “Oh, that’s bad, but at least our area wasn’t affected.” Getting numb to this brutality is something I have been worried about since the first days of this full-scale invasion.
Lord, purify my heart, make it sensitive to the pain of others, help me mourn with those who mourn and celebrate with those who rejoice. Don’t let this war harden my heart lest the Enemy prevails.
Voice of Ukraine 