Dear God, one of the hardest things about any conflict, whether it was entered into wisely or foolishly, is figuring out the offramp. There are three options, I suppose: 1.) Side A surrenders or is destroyed. 2.) Side B surrenders or is destroyed. 3.) Compromise.
When I look at the Urkraine situation and watch videos like the one I saw this morning of everyday people suffering, it takes me back to a year ago in Winter Storm Uri. Not that we suffered like they are now. In fact, that’s the point. As difficult as that was, and as much fear we had at the time and bellyaching we did at the time, we still had resources and the basics of infrastructure. No one was randomly firing missiles into our cities. We weren’t having to evacuate the women and children only to turn around, take up a gun and defend our homes. Some of us were simply without power and/or water, our food supplies were interrupted, and we couldn’t drive on the streets. But we knew they would be back. We knew our society hadn’t crumbled or we weren’t in danger of our government being overthrown. Certainly, we didn’t fear a missile landing on our house at any given moment.
Even now, as much as I ache for the people of Ukraine and also the Russian soldiers being forced to attack them, my aching is only a smidge of what pain they are feeling. I cannot even comprehend it. But if, like when I write my congressman I imagine my letter being sorted into a stack based on issues and just counting almost like a vote, my prayer is added to the billions–literally probably billions–of prayers being raised up for Ukraine right now, let it be for an offramp. I do not want the Ukrainians to surrender or be destroyed. I do not believe pride will allow the Russians to surrender and no one wants to see them destroyed. So I pray for an apparent offramp. Give the world a quick way to resolve this issue. And please let this pain count. Let there be communication. Let there be a sense of gaining the perspective of the other, respecting that, and then moving on. Let this all be in your perfect timing. And for my brothers and sisters in Ukraine, please guide and comfort them. You know, I don’t really know how to pray for them. Frankly, I don’t know how to pray for any of this. So let your Holy Spirit intercede for all of us.
In Jesus’s name I pray,
Amen
Emails to God 