Chaos

My teaching partner and I stood at the back of the room, watching our students as they played.

“What is going on today?”

“What a gong show!”

It seemed like we had spent the day refereeing. Our students’ voices were elevated and accusatory, and we fielded numerous complaints of unkind behavior. Two children were going home with scratches on their faces. Another pair had bitten each other.  I had to help a boy clean up after an intentional washroom accident (He wanted to go home, and at that moment, I did too).

There was no full moon to explain the behavior we were observing. I checked! They had gone outside during their regular time, so we couldn’t use “cabin fever” as an excuse. Our students’ poor conduct was unexplainable.

And ironic.

It was Pink Shirt Day. The children and staff all wore pretty shades of pink, some with frills and lace. We spent Circle Time talking about kindness and treating others with respect. THEY suggested ways they could be kind to each other during their play.

Yet, a couple hours later, they had forgotten their manners and were attacking each other with nails and teeth! Oh, the joys of Kindergarten!

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In our bigger community, we finally saw the truck convoy depart from our city, leaving behind a massive debt and divided loyalties among friends. I still pass an occasional stranger carrying a cardboard sign speaking about FREEDOM, continuing their protest, but in a much more subdued way.

But before we finish the whoosh of breath resembling a sigh of relief, journalists turned the spotlight on the other side of the world. A protest about freedom in a country like Canada now seems trite compared to what people face in Ukraine today. The word WAR is being used in a context that infuses fear for their lives. And freedom is a fragile thing,  involving human rights that might be stolen.

Once again, I feel like throwing my hands up and crying, “What is going on?”

Trials, tribulations, wars—they are not evidence of a God who doesn’t care or doesn’t exist at all. These are reminders that we need Him. They are reminders to pray.

What do we pray for? We pray that God’s will be done. We pray that Ukrainians all over the globe call out to a Heavenly Deity who wants to be their Father. We pray that the driving force behind this invasion, the one calling the shots, has a come-to-Jesus moment. What would happen if he accepted God’s love into his heart? God sent His Son to die for EVERYone. Even a communist leader. Let’s pray for his soul, my friend.

Do you wish you could do something to help our faraway neighbors?

My friend’s husband, who works in the medical field, suggested canceling their March Break trip and going to Poland instead, to help with the influx of Ukrainians crossing the border. What a selfless, benevolent idea! We can’t all consider such an extreme measure, however.

What can you do? You can pray. Never underestimate the power of prayer.

Father, no matter how out of control things seem to be, I know that You still have power over everything. Thank You for loving us all enough to provide salvation and offer a relationship with You. I pray for the people of Ukraine and for their families who live elsewhere. Reveal Your heart to them. Draw them close and help them know You better.

I pray also for the Russian people who will likely be ostracized for their government’s decisions. May they discover your love too.

And work a miracle in the hearts and minds of the leaders. They are misguided humans who also need You.

I submit my own will to You. Accept my prayers, and show me what else I can do to help.

Amen.

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