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Richard Lawry author page - Devotionals from a Small Town, 3008 Highway 71 South, Mena, AR (2025)

12/24/2025

Today's devotional, Home for Christmas, tells the story of the Wright brothers' Christmas in 1903. It is Chapter 49 in my book Gentle Reader.

It was a cold, windy day in December 1903. Orville Wright stands on the beach in Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, staring at the sky. Flying overhead, in the machine that they had built together, is his brother Wilbur. It was their fourth flight of the day in their hand-built flying machine. Wilbur Wright succeeded in flying their homemade machine for 59 seconds, covering 852 feet at a speed of seven miles per hour. Orville had piloted the first flight of the day that lasted just 12 seconds and traveled only 180 feet, but it proved that human flight was possible.

Orville wrote in his diary about the first attempted flight that morning. “I found the control of the front rudder quite difficult. As a result the machine would rise suddenly to about 10 ft. and then as suddenly, on turning the rudder, dart for the ground. A sudden dart when out about 100 feet from the end of the tracks ended the flight. Time about 12 seconds.”

The brothers realized that a successful flight depended on their ability to learn how to handle the machine. Each attempt showed improvement. They were pleased enough with Wilbur’s 59-second flight but knew they could do better. Unfortunately, there was not going to be another flight that day. Orville explains in his diary. “We set the machine down a few feet west of the building, and while standing about discussing the last flight, a sudden gust of wind struck the machine and started to turn it over. All rushed to stop it. Will who was near one end ran to the front, but too late to do any good. Mr. Daniels and myself seized spars at the rear, but to no purpose. The machine gradually turned over on us. Mr. Daniels, having had no experience in handling a machine of this kind, hung on to it from the inside, and as a result was knocked down and turned over and over with it as it went. His escape was miraculous, as he was in with the engine and chains. The engine legs were all broken off, the chain guides badly bent, a number of uprights, and nearly all the rear ends of the ribs were broken.”

That day, Orville and Wilbur became the first to demonstrate a heavier-than-air machine’s sustained flight under the pilot’s complete control. What did the brothers do after their exciting success and then the heartbreak of damaging their flying machine? They had an unhurried lunch and then walked four miles to send a telegram to their father. The telegraph read, “Success four flights Thursday morning all against twenty one mile wind started from level with engine power alone. Average speed through air thirty one miles. Longest 57 seconds. Inform press. Home for Christmas.” With their machine wrecked by the wind and flying done for the season, the Wrights immediately thought of going home for Christmas. They returned home with their broken machine on the evening of December 23.

According to their niece, Ivonette Miller, who was 7 in 1903, the children were excited that Wilbur and Orville would be home for Christmas. She recalled that they said something like: “Oh, goody, Uncle Will will be home in time to carve the Christmas turkey!”

Amanda Wright Lane, the great-grandniece of Wilbur and Orville, said: “The Wright family was thrilled to learn about that first flight, but they were happier yet to know that meant the boys, great cooks, would be home in time for Wilbur to stuff the Christmas turkey and for Orville to make his cranberry bunny, served at holiday meals.”

Orville and Wilbur Wright had just accomplished something that no human being before them had ever done. What they accomplished that cold, windy December day would change humankind forever. But their thoughts were with their family and making it home for Christmas.

The family is important to God because it is an institution He has created, and it is one of His blessings. Families come in all shapes and sizes. Every family is different, every family is unique, and every person within each family is essential. When God created the family, he simultaneously gave us an extraordinary gift and a unique challenge. Family requires an unshakable commitment to each other even when everyone involved is intimately aware of each other’s flaws.

If you are committed to your family, they should always come first. Even if you are working on something significant, like the first powered, heavier than air flight, you should never forget your commitment to your family.

As a Christian, you are a part of two families, your earthly family, and your heavenly family. 1 John 3:1 (GW) tells us, “Consider this: The Father has given us his love. He loves us so much that we are actually called God’s dear children. And that’s what we are.” And Romans 8:15-17 (ICB) says, “the Spirit that we have makes us children of God. And with that Spirit we say, ‘Father, dear Father.’ And the Spirit himself joins with our spirits to say that we are God’s children. If we are God’s children, then we will receive the blessings God has for us. We will receive these things from God together with Christ.”

Gentle Reader, there is no doubt that God loves His children. He shows it by His words, His actions, and His promises. He longs for His children to be with him. Like we want our children and grandchildren to come home for Christmas, God wants us to come home and be with Him. Jesus says, “I will be there to greet you personally and welcome you home, where we will be together.” John 14:3 (VOICE) There is nothing in this life that is more important than for us to be a child of God and come home for Christmas. Let’s tell God, “I’ll be home for Christmas. You can plan on me.”

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12/23/2025

Today's devotional, The Best Gift Ever, discusses disappointing gifts and amazing gifts. It is Chapter 26 in my book Devotionals From a Small Town.

As Christmas approaches, people focus on giving good gifts. We spend a lot of money and time finding the right gifts for the important people in our lives, but sometimes, we need to improve our gift-giving.

One Christmas, when my son was a young boy, we almost spoiled his Christmas with a particular gift. He was responsible for sweeping the kitchen floor as part of his chores. For Christmas, we thought giving him a stick vacuum cleaner as a gift would be funny. We wrapped the vacuum in beautiful paper, which turned out to be the largest gift under the tree. My son was thrilled when he saw the big gift with his name on it. His imagination ran wild, and he spent hours wondering what could be inside the largest present under the tree.

On Christmas morning, all he could think about was that gift. When he finally opened it, the disappointment on his face was unmistakable. No matter how thoughtful or exciting the rest of his Christmas presents were, they couldn't make up for the vacuum cleaner fiasco.

Have you ever been disappointed by a gift? Has someone been disappointed by the gift you gave them? What about great gifts? What is the best gift you have ever received? What made it so special? Was it the value of the gift? Was it the person who gave it to you?

What is the best gift I ever received? As simple as it may seem, this question has always been a struggle to answer. As I ponder this, I find it hard to narrow down one particular gift as the best. I received an extraordinary gift even though its dollar value is not very high. I just wanted to tell you the story.

In February 2004, my family and I and other church members traveled to San Pedro, Belize, to assist in constructing a church. During our time there, we formed many friendships. The following year, we decided to return to San Pedro.

Our return trip to Belize was fantastic. Over the ten days we spent there, we caught up with old friends from the previous year and made many new ones. Our friends often stopped by our room with gifts like fresh coconut water, papaya, or little trinkets. On our last day in San Pedro, there was a steady stream of visitors to our room. They came to bid us goodbye, and most of them brought a small gift.

One gift, in particular, stands out. My wife had formed a unique bond with a little two-year-old boy who spoke only Spanish. Whenever he saw her, his face would light up. He didn't understand English, but he understood the language of love. On the day we were leaving, he and his four-year-old sister came to our door with a gift. They handed us a well-worn 1941 Walking Liberty half-dollar. The surprise and joy on their faces as they presented the coin, their eyes shining with happiness, made it one of the most precious gifts I have ever received.

While on my trip to Belize, I learned a profound spiritual lesson from the people I met. Despite having little in terms of material possessions, they showed an incredible desire to do something for us. Their boundless generosity and strong desire to please touched me deeply. They made it a point to see us before we left and even wanted to bring us a gift, demonstrating how important it was to them. This experience was a powerful lesson for me in how to relate to God. It made me realize that I should approach God with the same attitude, expressing my desire to give what little I have, asking how I can please Him, and expressing my longing to be with Him.

Gentle Reader, I know you plan on giving good gifts this Christmas. Jesus knows that, too. In Matthew 7:7-11 (NIV), Jesus said, "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!"

As we exchange gifts this Christmas, let's remember the true reason for the season. No matter how wonderful our gifts may be, they can never compare to the ultimate gift of Jesus, which we celebrate at Christmas. Romans 6:23 (KJV) tells us, "The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord." God has given you the best gift ever; what will you give God this Christmas?

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12/22/2025

Today's devotional, Point Barre, tells of my experience with a speed trap in Point Barre, Louisiana. It is Chapter 55 in my book, Causing a Splash.

When my granddaughter Rebekah was born, my wife and I drove our MINI Cooper to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My wife had taken a week off of work to stay and help our daughter with the new baby, so I had to drive back home alone.

On my way out of Baton Rouge, I took Highway 190 to Interstate 49. I have traveled Highway 190 often, and you don't speed on it because it is heavily patrolled. The speed limit was 65 mph, so I set the cruise control on the MINI at 67 mph. I traveled along with the traffic flow, listening to an audiobook about Benjamin Franklin.

As I entered Point Barre, the speed limit dropped from 65 to 45 mph. I tapped the cruise control and traveled with several other cars as we slowed down. The next thing I knew, there were blue lights in my rearview mirror. The patrolman must have been shooting his radar right at the 45 mph sign, and he had to pick me out of 4 or 5 cars to stop, as we were all traveling the same speed. The ticket cost me 160 dollars. I was not happy. I felt that the ticket was unfair. I had been trying to obey the law, yet I got a ticket.

My situation reminded me of an illustration that I have heard explaining God's grace. Imagine driving down the road, doing 100 mph in a 55 mph zone. A police officer stops you. If he gives you a ticket, that is justice, for you got what you deserve. If he lets you off with a warning, that is grace, for though you deserved a ticket, he did not give you one.

I have thought about that illustration and realized it doesn't quite fit. If the officer lets you off with a warning, that isn't grace but mercy. Even though you deserved a ticket, he did not give you one. However, if he personally escorts you to your destination instead of ticketing you, that is grace, for he gave you more than mercy, more than you ever expected, and more than you could ever deserve.

My experience with the patrolman in Point Barre reminded me of the experience of many Christians. They feel that they aren't doing anything all that bad. They are trying to obey the speed limit, which should count for something. They don't see grace being all that great. They are trying to live right. God should realize that.

But the faithful Christian realizes that he broke the law whether he was going 5 miles over the limit or 55. He knows that "whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it" James 2:10 (ESV), and that "the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 (NKJV). He realizes that he deserves the ticket and is overwhelmed by unexpected grace.

Grace seems to pop up in places I never expected it. The other day, I saw a bumper sticker stating, 'Grace Happens.' It is true. Grace happens all around us, but often, we are too busy to notice.

Last Halloween, my wife had bought lots of candy in preparation for the kids she was expecting to come to our door. She was prepared to give candy, and lots of it, to anyone who rang her doorbell. She waited with anticipation because she loved seeing the kids in their costumes. The doorbell rang for the first time. She went to the door and opened it with a bowl of candy in her hand.

Two kids stood on her front porch but didn't have anything to put candy in. They didn't say trick or treat. They stood there with a long-stemmed rose in their hand. "We are not asking for candy," they said. "We want to give you a rose."

Unexpected grace out of the blue. I never thought that on Halloween, someone would come to my door and give me something. That is a key to understanding grace. We Christians often focus on the fact that grace is undeserved. That is true. If you deserved it, it wouldn't be grace. Not only is it undeserved, but it is unexpected, catching us off guard and leaving us in awe.

I think that is what Paul is trying to get us to see when he wrote in Ephesians 3:8 (NKJV), "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ." He seems to be almost unable to believe that grace was offered to him. It was unexpected. Maybe that is why he talks about grace more than any other Bible writer.

Christian author JerryBridges wrote, "Some days we may be more acutely conscious of our sinfulness and hence more aware of our need of His grace, but there is never a day when we can stand before Him on our own two feet of performance, when we are worthy enough to deserve His blessing." None of us deserve God's grace. And yet he offers it to us as a gift, a powerful tool that helps us overcome our shortcomings and live a life of righteousness. Pastor Rick Warren writes, "What gives me the most hope every day is God's grace; knowing that his grace is going to give me the strength for whatever I face, knowing that nothing is a surprise to God."

Gentle Reader, look for the unexpected today. Look for grace in unexpected places. I know that you will find it. In 1 Timothy 1:14 (NIV), Paul tells us, "The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly." I wish for you to experience God's abundant grace, which is not just unexpected but also overflowing and ever-present in our lives.

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12/19/2025

Today's devotional, Icy Promises, tells the story of my Daddy as a boy on an icy day in Kansas. It is Chapter 54 in my book Rusty Treasures.

As the cold Kansas winter wind blew, the young boy walked down the icy country road. The gravel road was coated in sleet and ice. "Be careful, Bobby," Daddy said. "You don't want to slip and fall like I just did." "Yes, Daddy," Bobby answered. They had already been walking for more than a mile and still had several more to go. Bobby had never seen a road that was so slick. The day before, there had been several inches of sleet, followed by heavy freezing rain. The ice coated everything, making it impossible to travel the country roads by car.

Earlier that morning, Daddy had said, "Bobby, why don't you come with me to take care of the neighbor's cattle." Daddy had promised the neighbor that he would feed the cattle while the neighbor had to be out of town for a few days. He hadn't gone to feed the animals the day before because of the ice storm, and he knew the cows would be hungry. "We can't take the Model A; it's frozen solid, and the roads are too slick," Daddy said, "we will have to walk." "But the neighbor's house is five miles from here," Bobby said. "Yes," Daddy answered, "but I promised I would take care of the cattle, so if the only way we can get there is by walking, then we will have to walk."

Along the country road to the neighbors' house were several long, steep grades. Daddy and Bobby struggled to make it up the slippery slopes, and Daddy fell multiple times. "How long will it take us to get there," Bobby asked. "However long it takes," Daddy answered, "I promised that I would take care of the cattle, and I must keep my word no matter how bad the conditions are or how long it takes." Bobby put his hands in his pockets to warm them as they continued walking down the icy road.

After walking for three and a half miles, Daddy and Bobby reached the state highway. While they were walking down the highway, a truck passed, spreading sand on the road. The driver stopped and asked them where they were going. Daddy mentioned they were heading to the neighbor's house, about a mile and a half further down the highway. The driver offered them a ride to warm up, and Bobby happily climbed into the truck's cab to sit between the driver and Daddy.

When they arrived at the neighbor's house, the truck stopped, and Daddy and Bobby climbed out. "Thank you so much," Daddy told the driver as they waved goodbye. Bobby gave grain to the cattle, and Daddy pitched hay. The cows were very happy to see them and get something to eat. After feeding the cows, Daddy chopped a hole in the ice so the cattle could get a drink. When they finished, Daddy said, "We'd better get started back home. We have a long way to go, and we want to get home before dark."

After hitching a ride to the country road near their house, they still had three and a half miles to walk. While navigating the icy road, Daddy slipped and fell multiple times. It was almost dark by the time they reached home. They had walked miles on treacherous roads just to feed some cows. Bobby wondered, "Why did we have to go feed the cows when the roads were so icy?"

"A man's word is important," Daddy answered. "If you make someone a promise, you should do everything in your power to keep it."

Upon opening the door to their warm house, Bobby was relieved to be home. He hoped that Daddy wouldn't be too sore from all the times he had slipped and fallen on the icy road.

The Daddy who felt that his promise to a neighbor was so important that he was willing to walk ten miles on slick, icy roads on a cold winter's day was my Grandpa, and Bobby was my Daddy. My Daddy learned by example from an early age that a man's word is his bond and that it is essential to keep the promises we make.

As much as I would like to be able to say that because of the example of my Grandpa and my Daddy, I have always kept my promises, that isn't the case. I have made promises that I didn't keep. But God expects us to keep our promises. "If a man makes a promise to the Lord or says he will do something special, he must keep his promise. He must do what he said." Numbers 30:2 (NCV)

Gentle Reader, I have had many promises made to me that were broken. I'm sure that you have, too. And just like you, I have broken promises that I have made. But unlike the promises we make to each other, God keeps every promise he makes to us. God does not go back on His word. "God is not a human being, and he will not lie. He is not a human, and he does not change his mind. What he says he will do, he does. What he promises, he makes come true." Numbers 23:19 (NCV) When you read your Bible, look for God's promises to you. A favorite promise of mine is found in Isaiah 41:10 (NLT) "Don't be afraid, for I am with you. Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." It is a promise you can count on!

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12/18/2025

Today's devotional, Who Do You Think You Are?, explores how we view ourselves and others. It is Chapter 51 in my book Love Letters.

Over the past few years, one of the TV programs that I have enjoyed watching is "Who Do You Think You Are?" After a four-year hiatus, the documentary series returned last year. In each episode, a different celebrity searches to trace their family tree with the help of historians and experts, unlocking past mysteries and unbelievable real-life stories across the world and through time.

Some of my favorite episodes have featured stories where celebrities find out things about their ancestors that they never knew before. Jason Sudeikis learned the details of his grandfather's death and that his grandfather abandoned his grandmother on their wedding day. Kelly Clarkson investigated the life of her three-time great-grandfather, who fought in the Civil War, was a prisoner of war, and later became a Senator. And Annie Lennox discovered the sad story of her great-great-grandmother who became an orphan at five after her mother, a widow and a pauper, died.

In an interview with Meredith Jacobs, executive producer Dan Bucatinsky said, "We've been doing this show for ten years now — we can't quite believe it — but there's a messaging in this show that I think happens that is sort of under the surface, which is that history matters, that we are all made up of both enormous and also tiny moves that occurred even 100, 200, 300 years ago with our ancestors. There has been a growing interest in genealogy."

Why do people find genealogy interesting? They realize that their ancestry is a part of their identity today. I've been delving into my family tree and traced the Lawry name back to Joseph Laurie, who was born in Scotland. The most intriguing ancestor I've discovered is my four-times great-grandfather, James Vowels.

I came across a document stating that James Vowels served as a soldier in the Army of the Revolution. He was born in Virginia in 1738. In 1776, he enlisted under Captain George Slaughter of the 8th Virginia Regiment. James participated in the Battles of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, Germantown on October 4, 1777, and others. He spent the winter with his regiment at Valley Forge and faithfully completed his enlistment term.

After his enlistment ended, he returned to Virginia and married Anne Fields in April 1781. Following the wedding, he re-enlisted in the Army and participated in the siege of Yorktown. After Cornwallis surrendered on October 19, 1781, he returned to Culpeper County, Virginia, where he lived until his death on April 17, 1815.

My four-time grandfather was involved in some of the most critical events in American history. He experienced the hardships of Valley Forge and was part of the army that forced English General Cornwallis to surrender, effectively ending the war and helping America gain its independence. I feel proud to be a descendant of James Vowels, a true patriot.

I thoroughly enjoyed researching my genealogy, but unfortunately, I hit a dead end and couldn't trace my Lawry family tree any further. To continue, I would need to travel to Scotland, where the last records of Joseph Laurie were found. The question still remains: where did I come from?

Who do you think you are? The answer determines how we live our lives. Our existence is meaningless if we feel we are here by an accident of forces. But if we are here because of God, our life has great worth, purpose, and a promised future beyond death.

In the Bible's account of human history, we read, "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth, " Genesis 1:1 (KJV), "And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." Genesis 1:26 (KJV) Who do you think you are? God says he loves you and made you in his image and likeness. Satan lies and tells you that you are just a cosmic accident.

Who do you think you are? You don't have to determine your identity because God has revealed it. God has told us that He created us. So many people are searching for their identity because they don't believe God created them.

Anytime we try to establish our identity without understanding it biblically, it can lead to problems. New Age philosophy teaches that God is within us and that everything is universally connected through God. Pantheism is the belief that nature is the same as divinity and that, being a part of nature, each person is God. Who do you think you are? If you believe you are God, nothing can control your behavior.

Many people also assume the identity of a highly evolved animal. They believe we are just animals who have evolved with opposable thumbs and intelligent brains. Who do you think you are? If you feel you are only a highly developed animal, there is nothing to control your behavior.

The question should not be, who do you think you are, but who does God say you are? The Bible tells us in 1 John 3:1 (VOICE), "Consider the kind of extravagant love the Father has lavished on us—He calls us children of God! It's true; we are His beloved children." God says that we are his children!

All people are created in God's image and likeness. Male and female, young and old, black and white, rich and poor, all have dignity, value, and worth. One of the biggest lies is that some people are worth more than others. As we are all children of God, no one is more valuable than anyone else, and no one is less valuable than anyone else.

That is why I don't believe in the survival of the fittest. I don't believe in Darwinian evolution, which says those who are strong survive and those who are weak are worth less. Adolph Hi**er based his plan for the A***n race on his study of Darwin's theory. Christians shouldn't believe in racism, sexism, or class distinctions because we all are made in the image and likeness of God.

Gentle Reader, who do you think you are? Your answer will profoundly affect your life, actions, and salvation. "We are God's creation. He created us to belong to Christ Jesus." Ephesians 2:10 (NIRV)

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12/17/2025

Today's devotional, Domira, tells the story of my Ukrainian friend and her experiences at the beginning of the war. It is Chapter 55 in my book Quiet Reflections.

It was a beautiful fall day in 1994, and we were sitting on the front porch of our new home enjoying the evening. We heard the phone ringing, and my wife got up and went inside the house to answer the phone. Picking up the brick-sized cordless phone, she pushed the talk button and said, “Hello.” Our daughter replied, “Mama, I need to talk to you about Thanksgiving. Can I bring someone home with me?”

Our daughter was attending a boarding school in northwest Arkansas. That evening, the dean came to her with a request. “Domira, a new foreign exchange student from Ukraine, has just arrived at school and doesn’t know anyone yet,” the dean said. "Could she spend the Thanksgiving holiday with you and your family?” “I will ask my parents,” my daughter replied.

When our daughter told us about the foreign exchange student and her need for a place to stay over Thanksgiving, we told her the girl was welcome at our house. Domira spent Thanksgiving with us, and we enjoyed getting to know her and learning about Ukraine. She had her first shopping experience in the U.S. at Mena Wal-Mart. She told us that where she lived, she would have to go to separate shops for milk, bread, and fruit. When Domira first saw our home, she wanted to know how many families lived there. She was surprised when we told her that only our family lived there.

When Russian troops invaded Ukraine and headed for Kyiv, we were concerned for Domira’s safety. We had kept up with her through social media, but there was no information from her. We were relieved when Domira posted a video telling her harrowing story and letting us know she was safe on the seventh of April. I wanted to share her story with you, my readers. Here is Domira telling her story in her own words.

“Thank you, my dear family and my friends, so much for your support and prayers. It means a lot to me and helped me go through what I went through. I’m sorry I couldn’t answer all your phone calls and messages. I know that it’s not easy to understand everything going on now.

My apartment is located on one of the main streets where everybody gets into the city and gets out. Most of the time, between 6:30 and 12:00, we have a traffic jam because people outside of Kyiv are trying to get to Kyiv to get to work. At 6:30 in the morning on the twenty-fourth of February, everything stopped. Not a single car was trying to get here. But at the same time three lines were just packed; Three lines that wanted to get out of Kyiv. All those cars and buses, everything was just full, and I knew that it was impossible to get out of here by car or bus.

I went to the train station, and it was also full. At the same time, our bank system was shut down, so that means that you cannot buy any tickets online, you cannot pay by card, and you cannot buy any food or anything if you don’t have cash. So everybody was trying to get cash from the bank and we had lines of about 20-30 people who were trying to stay in the line to get some cash.

On the first day, I heard my first sirens. I’ve never heard in my life such a crazy sound. When I was trying to get home, I was almost there. I just needed a couple of minutes to get to my apartment when I heard the sirens; that meant that the bombing was starting the second time. When I looked around, everybody was just in panic, running around trying to find the safest place. Since that time, we have had sirens almost every hour. Sirens mean that somewhere there was a bombing and there were explosions. I could not get home that day. I couldn’t get home to get the most important things. That means that everything you packed in five minutes, everything that you can take with you in just one suitcase or one bag. You pack all your life in five minutes in one bag and just try to go somewhere in a safe place.

I knew that in the same day it was impossible for me to get out of here, and I went to see my friend. She stayed by herself, and she was also scared and panicked, so we stayed overnight there. The next day at 7:30 in the morning, we tried to get out of Kyiv. We heard sirens all night and shooting. We knew that we could not stay here; we had to get out. We knew that it was impossible to get out on the Main Street and the main highway. So we needed to find the small roads and get through the small towns, somehow, someway, to the place where it’s going to be not so far from Romania where it’s safe. We don’t know how we’re going to get there. We don’t have any plan, I guess nobody had, we just needed to go.

We got in the car and started to drive. It took us twenty hours to get to Chernivtsi. We went through small villages and towns on the way. We saw many tanks and military, and sometimes we didn’t even know if it was Russian military or Ukrainian. We drove through small towns and villages, and we drove through the forests and places that had no lights at all. We heard explosions all the time, but we had no idea when we were going to get to Chernivtsi or if we would get there. Because every time you hear an explosion, every time you see a tank somewhere, you don’t know if that’s your last minute, or if you’re going to make it, or if you’re going to still be alive. For twenty hours, it seemed like it was just impossible.

We got to the safe place at about 4:00 o’clock in the morning, and I just wanted to check the news to see what was going on in Kyiv. I saw that just a couple of minutes from my apartment, in the same place where I walked just a few hours before, Russian tanks had destroyed everything that’s around there. I know that I am one of the blessed people; that had a chance to get out and be in a safe place.

I know so many kids and women that were just trying to get out of Kyiv or many other places, and they were shot. They didn’t have a chance. It’s hard to understand and explain what’s going on and why kids were killed, why women were dead, and why they were r***d. It’s especially hard to understand why some family members and some of your friends don’t believe you when you tell them what’s going on. I am not going to lose my energy explaining to somebody who doesn’t believe that the war is going on, that people were killed and I was one of them who could have been shot.

I’m just praying with everybody else that Ukraine will survive. We are praying and dreaming about the day when the war is going to stop. We are dreaming about the time when families can reunite. We’re dreaming about the time when Ukraine is going to be rebuilt. But so many people were killed, and you can’t forget that. I know that I can do as much as I can from my side, and I’m trying every single day to support and help people who stayed in Kiev and different parts of Ukraine. If you have a chance to help in any way, if you want to support, you can write me or you can call me. Thank you for your prayers. Thank you that you believe. God bless you.”

Gentle Reader, those affected by the war in Ukraine are not just nameless people. Please pray for Domira and all of the Ukrainians. “First and foremost, I urge God’s people to pray. They should make their requests, petitions, and thanksgivings on behalf of all humanity. Teach them to pray for kings (or anyone in high places for that matter) so that we can lead quiet, peaceful lives—reverent, godly, and holy.” 1 Timothy 2:1,2 (VOICE)

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