New Beginnings: A Time of Renewal for Prince of Peace
See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland. Isaiah 43:19.
One can’t help but be disturbed by the current situation in Ukraine. We see images and videos daily illustrating the horrific bombings and casualties, the fleeing refugee crisis, the lack of necessities, etc. It’s truly a catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
However, if you look a little deeper, you can find examples of inspiration and what it truly means to Live Generously. To Live Generously is to help others in need, either directly, or indirectly through supporting organizations and ministries that do the direct work.
With respect to Ukraine, doing a quick Google search on “Ukraine charities” yielded over 32,000 links to organizations that assist people in Ukraine. Similarly, looking at the GoFundMe website, there are literally 1000 entries where one can donate to a Ukrainian person or family, or to an organization assisting Ukrainians in need.
Inspiring to me is not only the large numbers of traditional ways to assist, but how people are coming up with new and inventive ways to help as well. I was really taken by the idea of people booking Airbnb rooms in Ukraine with no intention of actually traveling there. It’s just a clever way to direct funds to people in need. Additionally, people are purchasing tickets online to the Mykolaiv Zoo in Ukraine to assist the zoo with the costs to house and feed the animals.
(https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ukraine-airbnb-bookings-donations/)
(https://blooloop.com/animals/news/mykolaiv-zoo-ukraine-selling-tickets-feed-animals/?fr=operanews)
How uplifting to know that people want to change people’s lives, or take care of God’s creatures, no matter how near or far away, whether they personally know the affected or not, and will find many ways to do so.
Living Generously; it’s making a meaningful difference in our church, in our community, and in the case of Ukraine, our world.
Jeff Wishnew
Board of Stewardship
Love God † Follow Jesus † Invite All