Optimist Roundtable

By Martha Sykes

This past week has certainly been an eventful one that has reminded us about how important faith can be. As the many stories have unfolded in the news about the Ukraine, it has opened our eyes to what goes on in this world that can be so scary. Watching countless people leave their homes and facing so much uncertainty causes us to be grateful for what we have. These events, as they happen thousands of miles away, have an effect on all of us. They make us think, and they make us question.

These happenings reveal a lot about our strengths, our weaknesses and the compassion of our hearts. That’s why we are able, as God’s followers, to pray for those we’ve never met, and also, we are, as His followers, able to look upon the people who are struggling with empathy and concern for their future.

Those familiar words from that song” He’s Got the Whole World in His Hands” reminds us that God knows what is going on in every part of this world and His love us big enough to care for us all!! Just like Jesus, we are called to care for all people, to hope for all people and to pray for all people. And when we do, it makes a difference!

I know I have said this many times, but prayer is so powerful and if everybody in every other country would pray for this situation in the Ukraine, it would be a wonderful thing. Because of our faith, we have to pray for God’s will to be done.

As we struggle with feelings of helplessness watching such sad stories in the news, our prayers of peace matter.

Remember, God is everywhere and He is the hope of the world. We know that God will take care of things just as He did for Jesus and as He still does every day through the Holy Spirit. In the scriptures it tells us to pray without ceasing so that is what we are called to do!