“The soldier lies there in the ditch, mud caked onto his khaki pants, mismatched t-shirt and button up shirt, with his thin jacket trying to protect him from the cold. It does little for that as the rain soaks his body to the bone. He lies there shivering, his rusty old rifle clutched loosely in his numb, cold hands, as he tries to remember why he is there. How did he get here? What was the point? Where is this going to get him? Who and what is he fighting for? Is anything worth this? Is anything worth the days of hunger, the hours of fear, the sleepless nights, and the weather worn, thin, holey clothes? What’s the point of carrying on? Why not just close his eyes now and never wake up? There’s always a chance he’ll be shot any minute anyways. He closes his eyes, hoping he will find that sweet release of darkness.
But a light penetrates his vision. He blinks a few times until he sees it, the rolling hills of his home, L’viv, Ukraine. He sees the the contrasts of gold, yellow, green, blue, waves of vegetation stretching into the distance, the gardens and farms of the people. He sees the meadow with its tall grasses and wildflowers, swaying in the wind, a sea of green, white, purple, red, blue. He sees the tall trees guarding the squares of land, a fortress to stop any incoming threats from taking away the joys of the farms. He inhales deeply the smell of new earth, of green plants, of sweet flowers. The wind kisses his cheeks, and ruffles his hair, softly caressing his soul.
His eyes turn towards the small brick cottage, nestled among the sea of gold. The short wooden fence surrounds the yard, and the small garden of herbs and vegetables to sustain the family. The door is wooden and red with the paint peeling. Inside he sees his wife, a vision with her golden curls tied back, working away in the kitchen. Her smile lights up the room and she works with joy, as if to say “It doesn’t matter how many bad things have happened, or are happening, this is our home, and its worth every heartache if only for those few moments of joy.” She smiles down at the little child tugging on her skirt, completely content with the joy and innocence of childhood, unaware of the atrocities and sadness afflicting its country. In the living room sits the grandmother, a small, stooped creature. She wears a skirt and shirt like those of the old Ukraine, from the days she used to know. Her wrinkles tell a story, a story of sadness, of oppression, of a time when fear was a dominate feeling, and freedom was not a thing. But she is proud to be a Ukrainian. She is tired, and walks like one whose carried many burdens, but she still softly smiles for the pride she feels to know that she is and always will be from a country so strong.
The scene changes to a long and sad history for a people ruled by oppression. He turns his face and sees a flag. It is red with a white circle and in the middle is a black twisted cross: a swastika. Thousands of Ukrainian Jews are being crammed into an area not built for such capacities. They are then being marched to a camp, where they are executed. They walk a path of death and destruction just for being Ukrainian and Jewish. A tear rolls down the man’s cheek as the scene changes yet again and shows Ukraine under Soviet rule. A people stripped of identity, their lives ruled by the word of one man, all of the worth put into nothing other than Russia’s gain. But that couldn’t last forever, and a glimmer of hope as Ukraine finally gained its independence as a nation! The people were exhausted from having to constantly fight to even be called Ukrainian, and had to fight to speak their own language. Freedom finally was tasted and in view. The man smiles at this, yes now his people have a reason to live. And now another enemy has arisen to take over the land again, but they underestimated something this time around. The Russians didn’t anticipate the resilience and determination and pride of the Ukrainian people! They did not anticipate the people fighting back, even if they didn’t have the weapons or resources to do it! They did not anticipate the fierce fight the Ukrainian people would put up! They never expected to lose……
The man opens his eyes and finds himself back in the trenches. But this time he does not feel the cold, or the numbness or his wet civilian clothes. He does not resent the rusty old weapon in his hand. He does not need to find some reason to keep fighting because he knows why he must. He is from Ukraine, and he needs to fight for his people, his country, and their freedom and pride. A smile graces his lips as he stands up to face the battle in front of him.”
Please stand with us to help the Ukrainian soldiers as they fight for their freedom! The former president literally left the military with nothing but weaponry from the 1970s, and little to nothing as uniforms. The Ukrainian people have rallied around and donated much to their soldiers, but there is still so much need! I have been working alongside a ministry here in Ukraine called Blessing Ministries who do many different things to help the community, and one of them involves donations for the Ukrainian soldiers. If you would like to help visit their website blessingministry.wordpress.com to see how you can help! And please PRAY for the country and the people and that the Russians hearts will be changed so that peace can be found and Ukraine can find true freedom!!
