For Ukraine
Last summer, a friend delivered the first issue of the Evergreen Motif Sketchbook to Europe, to missionaries serving in Prague. A few months later, they wrote to my friend:
“We enjoyed the Evergreen Motif Sketchbook. The first poem by Wendy Lew Toda gave inspiration for an activity with Ukrainian refugee ladies, as they are very familiar with eggshell painting. At this moment they feel broken, but God can create a precious thing in their lives. I already passed it on to a lady who does crafts with the Ukrainian ladies and she was very excited about the project; she even is thinking about using a gold paint coat for the edges of the shells, so that they can see the value in the shells and the value of their lives.”
I was speechless after reading this, and decided to bless that good work with a Tabiji Eggshell for the Ukrainian refugee women (This eggshell will be heading to Prague soon.). It is so exciting to me that the idea of the Tabiji Eggshells is now in the Czech Republic, and is being culturally translated so it can be of service to these women in their current refugee status. As an artist living on a completely different continent, I’d often felt helpless, wondering what I could possibly do to help heal such suffering. Wow! I couldn’t have planned this, even if I tried my very best. And it’s so perfect. I can only point and say, “YESSSS!!! Look at that!!! Amazing!!!” Such are the ways God moves. I am grateful to get to be part of that flow.
About the art: The colors represent the Ukranian flag. The three gold beads are along the seam between the blue and yellow, to represent the noble strength that holds the country together, and because they add height to the inside of the surface of the eggshell, symbolizing the rebuilding of all that has been lost. They offer the stubborn hope of beauty to come. The fourth single gold bead in the broken side of the eggshell represents prayer for the rebuilding and repairing of hearts, lives, and country. It also speaks of the plight of these Ukrainian refugee women, caught in the brokenness of war.
The next time you see news about war in Ukraine and the refugee situation in neighboring countries, consider reflecting on the fact that every single one of those refugees (mostly women and children) is a person of inestimable value and worth. They are someone’s sister, mother, auntie, daughter, brother, son, far, far away from a home they love. They could be you or me, if circumstances were different. I invite you to pause for a moment and extend compassion in whatever way you can.
If you’re a praying person, please pray for courage, hope and safety. If you are a therapist who speaks Ukrainian, German or English, I’d like to highlight the excellent work of Pocket Project’s Ukrainian Support Project. They are coordinating efforts to provide free 1:1 psychological support to Ukrainians around the world as well as to those supporting Ukrainian refugees. Through them I’ve been learning what it means to practice global social witnessing, gently turning my attention toward, rather than away from challenging events in the world.
Praying a song of home to wrap around the heart of each refugee far from theirs. I invite you to join me in this prayer.