From: Ira Kapitonova in Kyiv (Day 731):
But I have calmed and quieted my soul,
like a weaned child with its mother;
like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Psalm 131:2
We have lived through this second anniversary of the big war. Many people were sharing their thoughts and reflections today, which resonated with my heart.
One of my friends wrote (I’m paraphrasing from memory) that all of us are sick with incurable illnesses. We all have been diagnosed with war. And it’s something that has changed us and will be with us even if we move somewhere. Which is why, she says, it makes sense to stay here and hope for the victory, for that’s where life is found.
Another person wrote that once the full-scale war began, we lost the sense of things ever being different. It feels like we have always lived with this uncertainty, afraid to dream and make plans, and painfully aware of the cost of every single day.
Walking through our neighborhood today, I still felt tense and anxious. And I felt God speaking to my heart. He reminded me that the very act of me walking in my neighborhood today is His miracle and grace. Two years ago, Russian soldiers were on the outskirts of Kyiv. Two years ago, the world leaders expected Ukraine to fall in 72 hours. Two years ago feels a lifetime away, yet we’ve seen so many mighty acts of God! Even though victory is still too much bloodshed away, we can feel victorious and praise God for all things!
I was amazed at how this walk in the neighborhood filled me with hope. Another thing that brought in a vital dose of hope is the pre-release event organized by Envision Berlin for my book “Tulips and Ashes” (the e-book is already available online!
https://envisionberlin.com/shop/). I was able to get a glimpse of it (thank you, Mike and Elissa Picconatto), and I still am at a loss for words. It’s not something I could ever imagine or even dream of! This book is the fruit of the hard work and dedication of so many people (thank you, the Envision Berlin team and especially Stephen and Jennie Jones and Justin and Brittany Siemens). It is humbling to realize that this all was possible despite the war. It became such a powerful statement of life at the end of the day for me!
The event at the Sprig Envision Berlin’s Creative Space featured a picture that captured my heart. It is a colored pencil picture of a tulip by Elisabeth Renard. This artist wrestled with the exhibit’s themes, creating a tulip with petals that looked like flame and colors that reflected hope, pain, waiting, defiance, rejoicing, and resilience.
This flower that’s on fire yet not consumed by the flame reminded me of the words God spoke to Moses through the burning bush, “I have seen the affliction of my people and have heard their cry. I know their sufferings, and I have come down to deliver them.” I take these words as God’s encouragement for Ukraine today.
Voice of Ukraine 