Through Time and Space

It doesn't matter how hard you try to impress other people. You can spent much resources: money, time, attention, and talents. They will not be impressed. In my case, there are few people whom I have tried to impress, but to no avail. I mean they will talk to me when they have to do this. They even might give me small favors. However, upon closer look, I realize that we may know one another's names, birthdays, personal likes and dislikes, but at the same we will not be close, at least at this point.

I have reached the point where I am done with it.Trying to impress others takes to much time. I think those people will pay more attention at the funeral than to the person while he/she was alive.

Someone who cares

Many years ago: most of the year of 1997 I spent in Rostov Oblast. I saw Don River flowing. I had see Ukraine across the border.
This is where my mom's family is from. My great-grandfather was from Kiev.
My grandparents friends live there. Many have died. I am grateful that one of grandmother's friend's is in good health.
Actually I called her two days ago. My mom gave me the number few months ago,before Christmas. But I only called recently. It took me several tries to succeed. In those few months the other family friend passed away.
So, I checked my phone card and called. I was nervous at first. Imagine calling someone with whom you haven't spoken for almost twenty years. Now I am 26 years old, but the last time I spoke with her I was eight years old.
Phone rings. I hear my heartbeat. She picks up the phone. I called out her full name and she asked me what did I want. At this point we exchanged few phrases, not sentences. I introduced myself. She gasped. Few moments later she asks,"Irochka, is it you??" She used the diminutive form of my first name: the form which is used when addressing to someone significantly younger, someone who is close. The wall that was at the beginning of our conversation has collapsed. We began talking. I realized that she has cared about me. You don't have to see someone on regular basis in order to care about them. You may not care about someone who is geographically close to you. You see the distance to your heart cannot be measured in terms of units.
We talk. She allows me to talk first, which is unusual for the culture. I talk about my life in the USA and Canada. We talk about morals and how the love of destroys so many people. I start talking about God.
She tells me about how her mother used to read Gospels to her, when she was a child. This statement warms my heart.
She tells me how she has 9 great-grandchildren and how they all come over for lunch. We laugh. Her name is Seraphima, meaning fiery or ardent.  It's the variation of name Seraphim—one of the angels.
No matter what we were talking about, our conversation came back to God. While we were talking about the Lord, there was no disagreement.  She is the first person who agreed with everything I said about God  She doesn't affiliate with a church. We start talking about health. She tells me about her leg problems. I am amazed at her strength.
She complimented me on how I have achieved so much, independence and strength. Again I bring the Lord back in the conversation. I confess that I would not be here if it wasn't for the help of the Lord.
Our conversation touches many aspects, but each part ended with the talk about the Lord.
We do a memory check. I recall my memories. Seraphima recalls hers. Some of the memories stuck with either me or her, though not with both. I love that memory puzzle. It seems like we did not part our ways for many years. The gap felt small. It seed as if we have seen each other no longer than five years ago. We are having a mature conversation. I remember how she treated me more serious than the rest of the adults.
I asked if she had a Bible. She said she didn't. I suggested to visit the library. Seraphima said that the place did not have a Bible. I asked Seraphima if I can send the Bible to her.She asked me to give her a Bible when I will be in Russia for a visit. I pray that she will get Bible to her.

People Who Matter

In many cases we try to get attention of other people: those whom we consider better in one aspect or another. We all know someone who is better than us. There are people who are more popular than you. Everyone wants to be friends with popular people. Few of my friends have better educational background, better paying jobs, better relationship. better families—better everything. 

We all know people who have tried to get our attention. Some of them want to be our friends. We often try to avoid those people. We find them overwhelming, too overbearing, but often they are the once whom we need to help. Once they realize that they are too much for us to handle, they distance themselves away from us. They still part of our lives, unless they move away, but they are at the distance. Those are meek people, but they don't seem to have many friends. However, many will speak great words about those people after their death.

I have been in both situations. Talking to Seraphima opened my eyes. I know that love doesn't know time, distance, and space. Sometimes people who love us the most are far away from us according to geographical distance, but closest to the hearts. 

God's love doesn't know boundaries. 

 "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:38-39