A Sasha’s Hope archive post

I haven’t written a post myself for a while. I thought I would share some thoughts that have been on my mind about overcoming hard things. I know many of you are going through hard things especially with COVID-19. Some have lost family, lost jobs, are feeling lonely and isolated, wondering if things will get better. I want you to know that God can help you overcome those things. He is our King and Ruler and He loves us so much He cares about the small things and big things. I have been thinking about the ways God has helped me get through hard times.

The first may seem like a small thing, but I don’t believe it is. God has used animals to give me comfort many times. I have always loved animals. I view them mostly as friends. They are not complicated and they love you unconditionally. I am very open talking to them and sharing my day with them. I talk to them when I am hurting and I can’t really explain it, but it’s like they are really listening to you, are there for you, and help bring healing. I am so thankful God gave them to us. The first animal I saw was a dog in the orphanage in Ukraine. I remember being very scared of that dog and a lady came to me (I believe she had a special message from God for me). I was interested in that black dog but scared. It was a Pit Bull. She said to not be scared and that the dog would only bite me if I had fear in me. After she told me that I walked to that dog trying not to be scared and she was right, it did not attack me. That is when I started to really love animals.

When I came to the United States from Ukraine I got to my first home with my Dad and Mom and brothers…and my dog Blitz. When I saw Blitz, I was so excited! He was probably a little unsure of me because I dressed him up in girly clothes (he was a 110 pound German Shepherd), sprayed perfume on him, hugged him very hard and pulled his tail. I spoke Russian to him and thought he was the only one who could really understand my Russian because he would just turn his head from side to side and study my face. That is why I love animals, they put up with you and accept you being silly, don’t care how smart you are, or about your sins, and they just simply want to spend time with you. And not only do they love you unconditionally, but they have personality. I also have three horses. One is named Dixie and she has a sassy personality. Second is Maverick and he is gentle with people and a peacemaker. Third is Traveler and he is very independent and not scared of anything. And now we have another German Shepherd named Ranger, who is always standing watch over our family and loves to be with us. So, one of the things that helps me overcome is animals. I believe when God made animals, He made them for us to enjoy, and to heal things in our lives and souls that no one can touch but them.

The second thing I would say that has helped me overcome is family. When I have something in my heart and I am struggling through, I come and talk to my family. I can’t tell you how much it’s a blessing to have a family…being in a safe home, knowing that you are loved for who you are, and having family help you through whatever you are going through and saying they are sorry for your struggle and receiving a hug and prayer heals me. And family knows you so they can really help you because they understand you. They share their knowledge with you about what they have learned or what God has done to help them through. I am blessed to have them in my life and they bring me joy and remind me of God’s love for me.

And the most important thing that helps me overcome is my relationship with God. I have shared before my story of being in the orphanage and going through so much. I struggled to understand if God cared for me. I was experiencing my life without a family, being not loved, feeling like I was worthless, feeling abandoned, fearing what the day would bring, losing a best friend during all of that, thinking to myself that I would always be alone. So trying to overcome these hard things, I cried out to God with all my pain in life. And God is the one who came into my life and helped me overcome hard things. He gave me a family that loves and protects me. He gave me special friends to replace the one I had lost. He gives me days living without fear. He has given me a purpose and feeling I now have worth.I love this verse: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” (1 Peter 2:9) God has taken me as His child and will never abandon me.

Time for me to end…because I need to give attention to my horses who are waiting for me right beside the porch.