Our Friday group gathered to discuss our next chapter in Paula D’Arcy’s book Sacred Threshold: Crossing the Inner Barrier to Deeper Love. To begin our time together, we shared various prayer concerns. One woman has a dear friend, Olga, who lives in Ukraine with her two daughters. Olga had sent a telegram earlier in the day: “According to Ukrainian intelligence, the Russian Federation is planning a large-scale provocation with the aim of ‘dehumanizing’ Ukrainians.” Because she does not live near Russia’s border, Olga hoped that she and her family and friends would remain safe. Instead, Olga and her loved ones were bombarded by the chaos, the panic, the mayhem of an entire country terrorized by war.
After a brief time of silence, we lifted Olga in prayer. We prayed that the light of our LORD might shine in her heart, filling her with peace that surpasses human understanding. We asked God to create in her a non-anxious presence to share with those who desperately need to feel God’s peace.
Later in the day, our friend texted, “I was just reading Olga’s Facebook page. From what I can tell in broken English, they are asking NATO to help Ukraine fight Russia ‘from the sky…to close the sky.’ Then, ‘down there (on the ground, I guess) we can definitely handle it.’ It’s so sad.”
Now in these early morning hours, I am drawn to a music video featuring different sunsets gathered from across our globe by Patricia Maloney of Ottawa ON, Canada, calming images set to the Taize rendition of O Lord Hear My Prayer by the French composer Jacques Berthier (1923 – 1994).
With Olga and her fellow Ukrainians held close in our hearts, may these meditative moments with God free up our deepest prayers.
Lord, hear my prayer! Let my cry reach you! (Psalm 102:1, CEB).
…Sue…
