Procrastination is a man-made defense in response to fear. Perhaps you haven’t stated it that boldly yet, but whether you’re putting off a difficult project or a potential confrontation, there’s a good chance you’re afraid.

What Jesus teaches us about procrastination

Jesus reveals this truth when he tells the story of the three stewards. A steward is one who is given charge over certain assets by his master. He is not the owner of those assets, nor has he earned them. In the story, each steward was given responsibility for a sum of money that they were to invest wisely. In Jesus’ parable each steward was entrusted with certain talents by their master. The word talent describes the value of the assets with which they were entrusted. The three stewards were given 5 talents, 2 talents, and 1 talent respectively. In biblical language, a talent was a financial measurement and could be valued in silver or gold. A talent of silver was worth approximately $384,000 in modern US dollars; a talent of gold about $5,760,000. By the gold standard, the first was entrusted with 29 million dollars, the second 11.5 million dollars, and the third 5.75 million dollars. That’s a lot of somebody else’s money to be responsible for.

How fear makes procrastination easier and doing the right thing harder

Stewards one and two invested the money wisely, doubled their investment, and fulfilled their master’s expectations. The master commended them for a job well done. But the third steward chose not to invest the talent. As hard as it is to believe, he took a shovel, walked into his back yard, dropped nearly six million dollars into a hole in the ground, and covered it up. He then returned to his home and waited for the master’s return. Don’t you want to jump into Jesus’ story, grab the unwise steward by the shoulders, shake him and shout, “What are you thinking?!  How can you bury six million dollars in your back yard?” But upon the master’s return, the one-talent steward told us what he was thinking. As we listen in, we will discover the hidden motivator behind our own struggle with procrastination.

Here was his confession: Master, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping where you did not sow, and gathering where you scattered no seed, so I was afraid, and I went and hid your talent in the ground. Here you have what is yours. Fear can be debilitating. It can freeze your thoughts, lock down your emotions, and paralyze your ability to choose. When it comes to procrastination, there are two elements in our fear that prevail—a sense of our inadequacy and the memory of past failed attempts.

# 1: A Sense of Inadequacy: This is too difficult. If you put it off, it will get easier

When we put off today’s trouble because we feel inadequate, we often discover that the situation only becomes more difficult, not easier. The unwise steward claimed he was inadequate for the task. He believed his master’s standard was too high for his ability. Succumbing to fear, he put off his responsibility as a steward to invest the money. When we read the story, it is easy to empathize with the one-talent steward. We understand his fear. If we were entrusted with six million dollars, we’d feel inadequate too!

As a counselor, I’ve noticed often that when people are facing a task for which they feel inadequate, well-intentioned friends are prone to tell them that they can do it—they simply need to believe in themselves. These words, while meant for encouragement, can actually be quite dangerous. The Bible teaches that when you feel inadequate in your own strength or ability, it may actually be justified. Proverbs says, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths”

When you do not feel up to the task to which God has called you, it should motivate you to trust in him more than you do in yourself. This is how you overcome your sense of inadequacy.

# 1: A Memory of a Past Failure: Since you failed before, you will only fail again. Don’t try today.

Your past may be haunted with disappointments; personal failures may clutter your memory. Wherever there were breakdowns in your past, you’ll find it easy to procrastinate in your present. Your thoughts whisper: if you’ve failed before, you’ll only fail again. Our fear of repeated failure has barred the door to change. We wait for a motivation that never comes.

Perhaps you have struggled in your past with maintaining a weight-loss program. You were motivated when you started and you saw some early success, but then you failed to keep up the regime. The weight came back on, discouragement crept in, and now you’ve lost the motivation to begin again. You don’t remember the brief successes, you just remember the feeling of failure. Better to put a smile on it, and act like it doesn’t bother you. You put off the notorious “first day” until tomorrow. After that, you put it off further, always looking for the motivation that never comes. To rediscover the motivation necessary to crawl back on the treadmill, you will need to address the fear of repeated failure.

The Bible says that “perfect love casts out fear.” I have always been fascinated by that verse. You would think that perfect courage, endurance, or bravery might be one of the best candidates to cast out fear, but the Holy Spirit chose perfect love. Our heavenly Father’s perfect love is best understood through the sacrifice of Jesus in our place. For the Bible says, “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Often, because of past failures, a person is afraid to try. They aren’t motivated by “perfect love,” they are motivated by their own perfection. They refuse to try again unless they are guaranteed success. But whenever we worry about personal success our pride is at work. We don’t simply fear failure, we fear the humbling process that comes with it. It’s easier to say, “I’m going to start a weight loss program tomorrow” than to say, “I started one yesterday, but I couldn’t keep it up.” The first position is easier, because it doesn’t acknowledge our personal weakness. We admire humility in others, but we dislike the failure that brings it about in us. Failure forces us to admit that we lack the strength to accomplish our goals. Our pride is like an angry pit bull—aggressive, defensive, and never looking for help from others. This latter position, “I started a weight-loss program yesterday but couldn’t keep it up,” forces you to ask for help from God and from others.

If we will let personal failure accomplish its intended purpose, it will humble us, and we’ll ask for help next time. We won’t attempt to operate in our own wisdom; we’ll ask God for his. We’ll trust in him, not ourselves. This is the value of personal failure, and you can be certain that the devil and all of his angels don’t want you discovering it. They whisper the lie: Don’t ask for help. Just put this off until you have the strength of will to do it on your own.

Walk forward by faith, don’t procrastinate by fear

Consider this: if you start today, what’s the worst thing that can happen? You fail, humble yourself, try again, and become a little bit more like Jesus in the process. But so often our nagging fear of failure prompts us to put off the things we’ve messed up in the past. Our fear of failure is fruitless because it doesn’t encourage planning; it offers unproductive waiting instead. The longer we put off the task we’ve failed at before, the harder it is to get started. We need to admit that we are weak and insecure. Left to our own, we would fail again. Such an understanding allows you to take a step forward by faith. You will never discover the motivation you lack by waiting to start. The one who is growing in faith acknowledges his past failures and trusts God with future endeavors. You go forward with a confidence in God’s perfect love, not your past achievements. That is how we get started when we tend to surrender to our fear and procrastinate instead.

Phil Moser is the creative mind behind the Biblical Strategies series for personal growth, counseling, and discipleship. He authored Safe in the Storm: A Ukrainian Children’s Tale specifically for refugee children throughout Europe. Over 70,000 of his resources were distributed throughout Europe during the war. His men’s small group study, 4M Training, helps men apply key spiritual growth dynamics. His unique small group videos are beautifully filmed at National Park locations and can be streamed free of charge. His works have been translated into Bengali, Hindi, Mandarin, Russian, German and Ukrainian.

On December 21^st at 3:00 AM, 10,000 children’s books will cross the Ukrainian boarder in route to their destination in the Russian occupied territory of Eastern Ukraine. Safe in the Storm: A Ukrainian Tale is a children’s adventure story that encourages children struggling with anxiety to find hope in God. This beautifully illustrated book tells of two Ukrainian siblings who are separated from their parents in a storm. Pulled from the sea by a lighthouse keeper, they learn how much God really cares about them.

How the Journey Began

The journey of these books—just in time for Christmas—has its beginnings during the first week of July in a visit to Poland. During that week, through Biblical Strategies, we were able to distribute over 50,000 books on overcoming anxiety to Ukrainian refugees throughout Europe and Ukraine. Over half of that order (26,000 books) was the children’s story that I had written specifically for Ukrainian refugee children. While it is only available in the Ukrainian language, you can hear a read aloud version (in English) and view the illustrations here. https://youtu.be/Sjj50yzgRi4

How God Provided a Team of Distributors

The distribution of those books took place through pastors, missionaries, and refugee advocates throughout Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, and Moldova. The printing and distribution of these books is filled with multiple moments of God’s providence. You can read about it here: The Five Loaves and Two Fishes Moment: How God takes what we give and multiplies it – Biblical Strategies.

Remarkably, in just five months all those books had been given way, and our distribution partners were requesting an additional 16,000 copies of the book for refugee children. We were in the process of arranging for further printings when another providential appointment occurred.

The Journey of 10,000 Books

On December 5^th in a conversation with a Ukrainian missionary, I learned that he had been asked to help deliver some 10,000 shoe-box sized Christmas gifts to children in Ukraine. Sensing this may be one of those God appointed meetings, I asked him if he would like 10,000 children’s books to accompany the gifts. As he was familiar with the book, he concurred. We reached out to our printer in Poland and discovered that, while it was a very short turn abound, it might just be possible.

Another friend arranged transportation through German ministry partners. I called a friend and small business owner in the Midwest to see if he might help provide some of the financial assistance for the project. Unbeknownst to me, he was in the middle of selling his business, and he and his wife had been praying about how they might gift a portion of the money. They closed on the sale this past Friday, and without me even asking, agreed to fund the entire printing and distribution just in time for Christmas.

Christmas is all about giving. We give gifts to family, coworkers and friends. As Christians, on December 25^th, we pause to remember that God gave the ultimate gift—his Son.  This Christmas will you remember in prayer with me the Ukrainian people—specifically the children.

And as you pray, please remember the safe passage of 10,000 gifts as they make their away into war ravaged territories for children in need.

Phil Moser is the creative mind behind the Biblical Strategies series for personal growth, counseling, and discipleship. He authored Safe in the Storm: A Ukrainian Children’s Tale specifically for refugee children throughout Europe. Over 80,000 of his resources were distributed throughout Europe during the war. His men’s small group study, 4M Training, helps men apply key spiritual growth dynamics. His unique small group videos are beautifully filmed at National Park locations and can be streamed free of charge. His works have been translated into Bengali, Hindi, Mandarin, Russian, German and Ukrainian.

All relationships are two-way streets, but that doesn’t exclude us from repairing our side of the road. Whenever a road is under construction, there is a preparation process. Likewise, relational rebuilding, will require persistent preparations.

Jesus is a Master Rebuilder. He takes our brokenness and restores our relationship with God the Father. While he waited on us to respond, he was active in his preparations. We can follow his example when we see the need for relational rebuilding. We can work on our side of the road.

# 1: Exercise humility, not entitlement.

When relationships are broken it’s easy to justify our personal failures and focus on the other’s faults. Not surprisingly, such an approach breeds a spirit of entitlement. The entitled person waits for their opposition to begin the rebuilding process first. Jesus provides a more excellent example.

“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

As the Creator, Jesus had every right to be entitled (John 1:1-3), but he chose humility instead. Note that his humbling was an active process, not a passive one. He “emptied himself.” He “humbled himself.”

A humble spirit is the best preparation for working on your areas of weakness. It also gets you ready for the difficult conversations that will certainly happen on the way to restoration. When you’re walking in humility, it’s not so hard to have your own sin pointed out. The humble person is more likely to see criticism as constructive.

# 2: Seek compassion for others, not comfort for self.

When a relationship has been damaged (and we’ve been hurt in the process), we push back. We naturally move towards self-protection. Our comfort takes front seat, and our care for others is relegated to the back of the bus. Jesus takes an opposite approach.

“When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matthew 9:36).

The word behind “compassion” means to feel something inside. In this context, it means to feel sympathy or pity for another. Undoubtedly, the crowds were pushing in and demanding more of Jesus. Yet, his compassion for them trumped his personal comfort. He saw their needs and was moved with compassion.

As you rebuild your side of the road, learn to look upon the brokenness of the other with sympathy not judgment. In so doing, you’ll be more prone to work on your own weaknesses, and you’ll be ready to help them if you’re asked.

#3: Sacrifice by faith, not by sight.

Jesus makes seven statements from the cross. In each of these statements, he is uniquely concerned with others and not himself. To the average viewer, it would appear that Jesus was at the end of his life on the cross. So, why care for others now? What would be the purpose? Jesus was showing us how to live by faith, not sight. Notice the statement he makes on our behalf.

And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments (Luke 23:34).

Jesus hadn’t only placed his faith in a sovereign God, but he’d placed his faith in the unfailing Word of God. At the foot of the cross were those who were casting lots for his garments. Though the Roman soldiers were unaware, their actions had been prophesied a 1000 years earlier in the 22nd Psalm. From the cross, Jesus realized that, in their sin against him, they needed forgiveness. By faith he asked God on their behalf.

That forgiveness would be granted, but not immediately. Sometime later, thousands in Jerusalem would “repent and be forgiven” (Acts 2:38). Jesus made the request for their restoration by faith not by sight. A necessary reminder when you attempt to restore your broken relationships, be patient. Ask God by faith.

If you’re waiting for the other person to make the first move, you’re operating by sight not by faith. Jesus’ pattern teaches us something else entirely. Step out on faith. Do all you can to bring about the restoration process. Then, give the Spirit of God room to operate in the other person’s life and trust that he will.

While you wait, stay busy repairing your side of the road.

Phil Moser is the creative mind behind the Biblical Strategies series for personal growth, counseling, and discipleship. He authored Safe in the Storm: A Ukrainian Children’s Tale specifically for refugee children throughout Europe. Over 70,000 of his resources were distributed throughout Europe during the war. His men’s small group study, 4M Training, helps men apply key spiritual growth dynamics. His unique small group videos are beautifully filmed at National Park locations and can be streamed free of charge. His works have been translated into Bengali, Hindi, Mandarin, Russian, German and Ukrainian.

July 9, 2022 – Remembering the Ways of God

Standing between two massive warehouses in Warsaw, Poland, I feel a cool, evening breeze. The breeze carries the laughter of Ukrainian refugee children playing soccer in an empty parking lot with my son, Asa, and my friend, Jason. 

The breeze carries the sweet smells of a food truck manned by the Dutch volunteers from the town of Zwartsluis—an entire town whose residents take turns weekly to travel to Poland to feed Ukrainian refugees at the Expo: the largest refugee relocation center in Warsaw.

The breeze carries the scent of cigarettes from refugees weary of waiting. Waiting for visas that never seem to come. Waiting for SIM cards to talk to loved ones in occupied territories. Waiting to be reunited with family, with no idea when that will be. Waiting to return to their homes or what’s left of them. Waiting for this cursed war end. Waiting to see what the rest of us will do.

The breeze carries a week full of memories for me—rich, deep memories of meeting people who have suffered but still smile. Of volunteers who have come looking to spread joy, and return having discovered it for themselves. Of people who are doggedly courageous. Of weary workers who get up every day and do it all over again.  Of Polish people who refuse to quit caring, when their history is marked by those who didn’t care for them.

The breeze carries my recollection of answered prayers. Answers too numerous and precise to be a mere coincidence. Answers so carefully delivered as to affirm that I did hear God’s voice when he burdened my heart for these refugees and their children 100 days earlier.

I know I must leave, but I want to stay just a bit longer and remember. I want to remember that when God places a burden on your heart, he is able to bring it to pass through his strength alone. I want to remember, that for a people who have suffered greatly—God isn’t distant—he is near. I want to remember both the goodness and the greatness of God, that he can take our five-loaves-and-two-fishes effort and multiply it in mind-blowing ways.

February 2008 – You Can’t Outgive God

This is a story that has its beginnings 15 years ago in a seminary outside of Kyiv, Ukraine. While teaching a module at the seminary, I stumble upon a dozen freshly printed Christian titles. The books stand proudly on a bookcase in a language I cannot read or understand: Russian.

Earlier, I’d perused the seminary’s library of nearly 25,000 books: all of them in English. But these books are different. They can be accessed by a Ukrainian reader. They stand out because there are so few of them. Titles that would have been denied a printing 20 years earlier now demand a reading in the language of the people. On that day, standing at that bookcase I make a promise to God that if I ever author a book, I will give my titles freely to the Ukrainian people. A few years later the seminary takes me up on my offer. They publish six of my titles in the Russian language and began to distribute them in a land that used to exist behind an iron curtain. 

At the time, the decision seemed so simple. Jesus said, “Freely you have received, freely give.” How could I not share with others, what God had shared with me? I get busy with ministry a half-a-world away and forget what I’ve done. 

It’s February 2014 and the Russians invade Crimea. In America it hits our headlines briefly but gets pushed back by the latest celebrity news. To the Ukrainian people, however, it’s an ever-present reminder that they live in the shadow of an aggressor. One year after the invasion, Safe in the Storm: biblical strategies for overcoming anxiety, is translated, and published for Ukrainian readers. 

February 2022 – A Book to be Given Away

The Russians invade Ukraine. As they do, I learn of a German ministry partner who has printed 5,000 copies of Safe in the Storm in Poland and sent the books into Ukraine. I also discover that the book’s biblical paradigm is being used to train counselors to help those experiencing trauma from the war. At this stage, Ukrainian women and children are flooding to the boarders in vast numbers hoping to find refuge with their European neighbors.

March 16, 2022 – The First Step of Faith

Hearing of the numbers of Ukrainian refugees, three friends and I imagine what might happen if we could print 25,000 copies of Safe in the Storm and distribute them to refugees throughout Europe. From our German ministry partner, we learn the cost of printing in Poland. We agree to try to raise the funds: $25,000. 

March 31, 2022 – The Precision of God

A local businessman hears of the book order and calls to ask how he might help. He recounts a business deal that went bad years earlier in which he lost a lot of money. However, he adds, just two weeks earlier his past business partner wrote him an apology and included his first repayment of $25,000. He added, “you tell me you need exactly $25,000. I’ve been asking Jesus for the last two weeks what I’m supposed to do with this money and now I know.” Before we’d even attempted to raise funds, God had provided the exact amount!

With the book order in the printer’s queue at Czeyn, Poland, we began to think about distribution. My friend, Jason agrees to coordinate the trip. He becomes an invaluable and trusted ally. I decide to take my 16-year-old son, Asa with us to help with the heavy lifting:). 

This is when it first dawns on me that we are trying to distribute 25,000 copies of a book in Russian—a language we don’t speak, to Ukrainians—another language we don’t speak, in the lands of Poland, Czech, and Romania—three languages we don’t speak! I can count on one hand the people I know personally in Poland. Furthermore, we are repeatedly told that the refugee population is fluid—constantly moving. What plans we make for distribution today may be obsolete tomorrow. 

I realize that I’m in way over my head.  The very place God wanted me all along. Perhaps this is what Gideon felt like when God whittled his army of 32,000 down to 300.  If this thing happens, I tell myself, it will only be by the power of God.

April 2, 2022 – God’s Divine Connections

A few days after we’ve placed the order for 25,000 books with ARCA printers in Poland, veteran missionaries, John and Dasia Ambromavitch, join us for a Sunday service in New Jersey. As we talk, I discover that they know the printer we are using. And that the ARCA print shop is in their hometown of Cieszyn, Poland! Dasia will become the most valuable player in our distribution. While we don’t realize it yet, she will be the liaison to 75% of our contacts when we arrive.

April 5, 2022 – Don’t Forget the Children

Dasia will also play another role. God uses her to remind me that there are not only adult refugees, but there are also children. And lots of them. In the first stages of the war, a Ukrainian child became a refugee every 55 seconds. Over lunch, she shares of a warehouse in Warsaw that is housing 5,000 women and children. The number staggers me. It echoes in my head. For three days I can’t stop thinking about it. 

“A Ukrainian child has become a refugee almost every single second since the start of the war.”

UNICEF spokesperson, James Elder

A quarter of a mile from my house there’s a 3-mile run through the countryside. I love to take this run when I need to think. It passes two horse farms, crosses two bridges, and has enough hills to get my heart pumping. Looking back at that day, I had no idea what was about to take place. But God did. As I ran, I kept thinking about the 5,000 women and children. I tried to imagine a building big enough to house that many people. I was thinking how the 25,000 books being printed would help those frightened mothers.

And that’s when it happened: I realized I had a book on anxiety for the women, but I had nothing for the children. 

Still running, I wept and wondered. I wept for children who were frightened and far from home. And I wondered what if they had a story that reminded them of home? I wept for children who had to leave it all behind. And I wondered how precious might a story book be to them? I wept for children who would never see their parents again. And I wondered what if the story could share how much God really cares about them.

And right then I voiced this prayer, “Lord, I’ve never written a children’s story. I don’t even know if I can. But if you want me to do this, I’m willing to try.”

By the time the run was over, I had a burden on my heart and the seeds of a story in my head. Two Ukrainian children lost in a storm. They’re pulled from the sea, by a lighthouse keeper. He shares with them how they can know God really cares. A few days, later, they are restored to their parents.  A simple but vital premise for a displaced child: you may feel alone in the storm, but you’re not.

I return from the run to tell my wife, that while I have no idea what I’m doing, I believe I’m supposed to write a story for refugee children. That night I place a call to a young artist whom I’d used for last minute projects before.

Mikaela Schweigert is an elementary art schoolteacher. While she is an excellent artist, she had never illustrated a children’s book. She agrees to join me in the effort. We both decide to do the work pro bono so that all the funds raised will go to printing as many books as possible for the children. That night I receive my first sketch from Mikaela. For the next 33 days, she maintains her full-time job during the day and works on this project through the night. Often, I will receive her completed images between 1:00 and 3:00 AM.

April 6, 2022 – Nicolai & Natasha

I text my three friends the idea. “Last night, I had an epiphany. I realized that we were printing books for adult refugees, but not for children. I started the story of Nicolai and Natasha. A brother and sister who discover a lighthouse in the Black Sea after being lost in a storm. In the end, the children are reunited with the parents. Please pray…this is new territory for me. It’s a companion book to Safe in the Storm. Refugee moms would get their book and then the kids would get this story book with pictures.” I receive three affirming messages and their promise to pray. I begin to write in earnest.

April 15, 2022 – The Good Friday Text

It’s Good Friday, the day we remember the death of Christ. Mikaela is now sketching out the final pages of the book. Right before I preach, I receive a texted image from her.  It is her pencil sketch of Christ on the cross. It dawns on me that in less than 100 days, 25,000 Ukrainian children will be seeing this image and hearing the gospel perhaps for the first time. I’m overwhelmed with the thought. That night, a young college student overhears me talking about the book. He gives me an envelope as our first donation: $400.

April 18, 2022 – The Thirty Minute Edit

If you’ve ever published a book, you know the value of an editor. You also know it’s painful. I meet at Starbucks with a friend and my daughter who have agreed to serve as editors. My friend asks me if I want him to be kind or to cut to the chase. I tell him there’s no time to be kind. There are children waiting. In about 30 minutes, he points out several flaws in my story, reshapes the main character, and changes the arc of the story…I’m back to writing again.

April 19, 2022 – Going Forward by Faith

On April 19th we receive the bid from ARCA printers in Poland through our German ministry partners. 25,000 children’s books will cost $19,800. There is only one caveat. The cost of inflation is rising so rapidly in Europe that they can only hold the bid for 24 hours. The story isn’t completed. The illustrations aren’t done. We haven’t confirmed a translator. And we only have $400 towards the effort. I email the bid to my three friends who guide Biblical Strategies with me. We all agree what we should do. The very next day we accept the bid.

April 21, 2022 – Nicolai and Natasha Reach the Island

I receive the first painted illustration from Mikaela. Nicolai is carrying his sister on his back. There’s a lighthouse in the distance. The land is barren with a night-blue stary sky behind them. It’s beautiful and inviting. It feels like a children’s adventure story. I decide to call the book Safe in the Storm: A Ukrainian Children’s Tale. One day after we accept the bid, the first online gift arrives from a young family to fund the children’s book effort: $5,000.

April 22, 2022 – The Ukrainian Bride

Over a decade earlier, I performed the wedding for a Ukrainian bride and American professor. I reach out to the wife, Yana, and she agrees to do the translation. We determine it would be best to do a dual translation: Ukrainian with a Russian subtext. When she receives the finished English text two weeks later, she will translate the entire book into two languages in three days.

April 24, 2022 – The Displaced Children of the World

Meanwhile, I’m still working on the second draft, while attending a counseling conference in Fort Worth, Texas. It’s been 18 days since I first had the idea and I’m nearly finished. Each night as I fall asleep, my mind is on the 2.5 million refugee children coming out of Ukraine. I awaken with a start at 2:00 AM with a burning question in my mind. If there’s 2 ½ million Ukrainian refugee children, I wonder how many refugee children there are in the world?

I google it. 36.5 million.  That’s right. UNICEF reports there are 36.5 million displaced children in the world. You can add up the 10 largest cities in America and you won’t reach that number. I toss and turn the rest of the night, unable to sleep.

May 3, 2022 – The Final Page

I complete the final draft. 28 days earlier, God had burdened me with the needs of Ukrainian refugee children throughout Europe, finally the writing is finished.

May 8, 2022 – The Paint Dries

At 1:07 AM Mikaela finishes her final picture. As testimony to the Lord’s strength and her perseverance, consider this: while maintaining a full-time job, she has painted 25 original pictures in 18 days.

May 9, 2022 – The Screen Printer

Gary Lizzi is a good friend who runs a screen-printing business. I’ve often used him for graphic design work. He will need to create high resolutions images of Mikaela’s illustrations, then recolor each digital image to match the colors in her 25 painted images. Finally, he’ll add a text that has now been translated into two languages that he cannot read. The book is 48 pages. Gary completes his work in five days.

May 14, 2022 – 40 days and 40 Nights

The file is transferred through our German ministry partner and arrives at ARCA printers in Poland. The timeline sounds miraculous. On April 5^th, I had an idea of a story for refugee children. Safe in the Storm a Ukrainian Children’s Tale has been written, edited, illustrated, translated into two languages, graphically designed, and delivered to the printer in exactly 40 days. Only God could have done this.

June 18, 2022 – The Final Gift

We receive a text from Poland with the image of the first covers of A Ukrainian Children’s Tale coming off the press. To date, we are only $276.00 short of the $19,800 needed for printing. Within minutes of the that text, we receive a text from missionaries in Ireland that have followed the story. They ask if they can help with the funding. They make a $300 donation. The entire first printing is paid for on the day it is coming off the press.

June 2022 – Distribution Begins

ARCA Printers is in Cieszyn, Poland on the Czech Republic boarder. They are the printing house that our German ministry partner (EBTC) uses in Europe. ARCA plays another vital role for our distribution. They ship their product throughout Europe.  Before we arrive, they will have shipped 11,000 books into Ukraine (via our EBTC connection in Berlin) and 2,000 books into Romania. They will also ship 14,000 books to a warehouse in Warsaw, shortening our travel time when we arrive.

June 28, 2022 – Medical Supplies to Mariupol

On a last-minute connection before he leaves for Poland, Jason meets with Daniel Willoughby in Wilmington, Delaware. Daniel works with our ministry partner, EBTC Berlin Germany. As we will be borrowing the van from EBTC during for our distribution in Poland, Daniel is looking to see if we can also transport some medical supplies when we return the van. Daniel connects Jason to Liz who works with a humanitarian non-profit. Liz is looking for medical tape for the hospital in Mariupol—a city that is occupied by Russia on the East Coast of Ukraine.

As Jason used to work for 3M, he volunteers to see if he can acquire some supplies state side. He mentions that perhaps he can get a pallet of medical supplies. He later doubts that he has promised more than he could provide, but it is not more than God can provide.  In the end, one pallet grows to six and then to nine! Unbeknownst to us, these pallets of medical supplies will play a vital part in our distribution of Safe in the Storm books into Russian occupied territories a few days later.

Jason has developed significant connections with three people before he departs for Europe. All three live in Poland. Dasia Abramovich was born in Cieszyn, Poland she served as a career missionary to children until her recent retirement. Alex Ivanchuck was born in Ukraine, but his parents moved to St. Louis when he was a child. He presently serves as a missionary helping with the refugee effort in Warsaw, Poland. Tomek Krazek is a Polish pastor. He pastors a church right outside of Warsaw. Ukrainian refugees now comprise one third of his congregation.

July 2, 2022 – Destination Warsaw, Poland

Jason flies to Berlin to pick up the cargo van that our German ministry partner (EBTC) has agreed to freely loan us for the book distribution. He travels to Warsaw and connects with Alex and loads 14,000 books for distribution from the warehouse in Warsaw.

July 4, 2022 – Dependence Day

It’s Independence Day in America, but this is the day we discover how dependent we are upon the Lord. Asa and I fly into Warsaw, Poland and Jason picks us up at the airport. We are three typical Americans who only speak English. We are at the mercy of the English-speaking people that God will send us.  After a brief stop by the hotel, our first distribution will be with a Pastor Mehow. We have an address of a Polish church and the name of a pastor, whose Russian speaking congregation uses their church building for services.

The Polish speaking church secretary doesn’t speak English, but recognizing Pastor Mehow’s name, she calls him on her phone and hands it to Jason. Jason doesn’t speak Russian or Polish, so he dials Alex. He puts both phones on speaker and attempts to get them talking to one another. It isn’t working. Occasionally, the Polish secretary jumps out of her chair and shouts something into both phones and the returns to her office. God is teaching us that we must depend on him. Pastor Mehow is less than 100 yards away, and we can’t get to him.

Into the middle of all that chaos, the Polish speaking pastor walks into the lobby. He speaks Polish, Russian and thankfully English. “I can take you to Pastor Mehow” he says. Within minutes he is translating for us with the Russian speaking pastor. We leave 800 books. We also give away the first copy of the children’s book to a young Ukrainian refugee named Victoria. God’s simple reminder that victory will only be accomplished with the help of the Lord.

It’s 1:00 on our first day, and Asa is hungry. We find a small Polish Deli where we hope to order something to hold us over until dinner. We don’t speak Polish, and the server doesn’t speak English. We attempt to point at pictures on the menu. Thinking we’re ordering a small order of Perogies, two huge plates of food appear—followed by the perogies. God is reminding us that we can’t even feed ourselves without his help.

After lunch Jason, Asa and meet Alex and his team at our first large refugee drop. In the parking lot we pray for God to open doors. Alex and I approach the front desk within the facility and are turned away. The contact we had hoped for is not there, and the woman in charge will not give us access.

As we leave the facility, we walk directly into a Pentecostal group that has been given access previously.  They agree to take the books and distribute them for us. A few days later we receive a text that shares how they were distributing the books at another facility that we had not planned on visiting. God’s plans are so much better than ours.

That night we have dinner with Alex, and Pastor Tomac and his wife, Ivanka. We’ve agreed to meet near Old City Warsaw. Parking is a challenge; we’ll need to find a place on the street and walk several blocks. Jason spots a place and pulls in.

He sees a Ukrainian care sign on the building and realizes he’s parked in front of a temporary refugee center. Another car pulls in adjacent to us with the same symbol on their back window. Jason strikes up a conversation and discovers he’s talking to the president of the refugee center. His center services 700 refugees. We drop 400 books before we head to dinner.

July 5, 2022 – The Place that Started it All

This morning’s plan is to visit the EXPO—the largest refugee center in Warsaw. This was the facility that I’d heard about just 90 days earlier; the warehouse housing 5,000 women and children that had prompted the writing of children’s story. For several months, this place has served as the stimulus for my writing. After being turned away yesterday, however, from a similar location, I have my doubts that we can gain entrance.

Pastor Tomac meets us at the facility. This is a big facility, and it’s a process to gain admission. We will move the van five times before we meet the supervisor, Kasia. Each time Tomac and I enter a building, Jason and Asa pray for an open door. I remain skeptical, not wanting to get my hopes up. At one stage, I comment to Jason, that “We just haven’t gotten our ‘no’ yet.” Jason replies, “Maybe we just haven’t gotten our ‘yes’ yet.”

We enter Warehouse E. Tomac informs me that this is our final stop. As we wait for the supervisor, he strikes up a conversation in Polish with a warehouse operator, Jamal. Several minutes into the conversation, Jamal looks at me and says, “I speak English too. Do you have any questions?”

The supervisor, Kasia, arrives. Tomac begins the explanation of why we’re here. Jamal slides over next to me and begins to translate their conversation into English. Tomac says, “Phil, tell her about the book.” 

I hold up the children’s book and say, “Thank you for what you’re doing for the refugees. I wrote this book when I heard of this place. I wanted the children to have a message of hope. It’s called Safe in the Storm a Ukrainian Children’s Tale.”

As Tomac translates my words into Polish, Kasia rubs her arms, smiles, and says something in Polish. Jamal translates her words for me, “she says she just got goose bumps—that you would think of the children, write a story for them, and come all this way. She says stay as long as you want, and what books you can’t give away, we’ll give away for you after you leave.”

We pull the van up opposite a food truck, staffed by volunteers from Holland. We throw open the back doors of the van and sign books all day long. We meet amazing people. One woman, still recovering from the trauma of war hides behind a van, afraid to approach us. I take her an anxiety book, point to my name, and sign it. She smiles a thank you, then comes out from behind the van for a picture.

I meet Alexander, a young Ukrainian soldier with a cane. I sign a book for him, he rolls up his pant leg to reveal a soft-ball-sized hole in his thigh. He types quickly in to google translate. I read: “From the war.” Martin, a Dutch teen volunteering at the food truck, guides us through a warehouse filled with cots and we give out books to Ukrainians whose only belongings are gathered in a small satchel. Jason and Asa play soccer with a young Ukrainian, Sergei and his friends. Later, Asa pulls out an American football and introduces the kids to field-goal kicking—an empty parking lot serves as the field.

As the day nears an end, I leave the van and walk towards the front of the warehouses. I’m looking for time alone with God to absorb what I’ve seen. An older man with both feet bandaged up beckons me from his wheelchair. I can’t understand a thing he’s saying, but I do understand he needs help. I begin to push the chair. We pass one warehouse after another, and he’s always motioning further. Finally, we arrive at his destination—a makeshift health center. He smiles and nods his appreciation. I’m humbled. As I walk back, I thank God for the chance to be his hands and feet half-a-world-away from my home.

Asa finds me. “Dad, there’s someone who wants to meet you.” A woman back at the van is pointing to my likeness in the children’s book—the lighthouse keeper, Constantine. She points at me and laughs. Then she pulls out the adult book on anxiety. She takes her fingers and drags them down her cheeks to simulate tears. In broken English, I hear another man’s voice translate. “She cries because it helps her” he says.

We meet Kasia back at the storage center and unload two pallets of books for distribution later. Asa and I take a final picture with Kasia—the supervisor whose simple “yes” enabled me to hand deliver a message of hope to the very people I had written it for.

We’ve emptied the van of nearly all our books in Warsaw, so we head down to the Word of Life Camp in Giersch (the third largest city in Poland). Tim Good and his family have served there for 20 plus years. We arrive just in time for dinner. After dinner, I speak to the teenagers attending camp that week.

Along with the Polish students they have about 15 Ukrainian teens. I sign books after the meeting for them. Having friends still serving in Ukraine, I talk with the Ukrainians about the dangers and destruction to their country. They weep and so do I.

Word of Life’s facility is beautiful. Jason and Asa call it a night. But my body is so wired from the events at the EXPO, I can’t settle down until 3:00 in the morning.

July 6, 2022 – Prayer Makes a Way

I teach on anxiety during the morning Bible hour with the campers, and we give away the adult book on anxiety. We spend time with Seth Heydinger and his family. Seth’s wife is Ukrainian. His father-in-law reads the children’s book to his son Eddie that night in Ukrainian. For breakfast the following morning, Eddie requests 3 omelets just like Nicolai, the main character in the book.

Tim gives us a tour of the facility. I also meet Sergei and his 8-year-old son. Sergei serves as an elder at a local church. He gets a vision for the books, and he begins to share them with his church. We empty the van of all that’s left. The WOL’s Poland staff is heading to the Ukraine border within a few days and will send books into the WOL Ukrainian team still operating near Kiev.

With an empty van we head to ARCA Printing in Cieszyn where we’ll connect with John and Dasia Abramovich. Before dinner they take us to a Lutheran Camp. They are planning meetings for the weekend where hundreds will attend. I’m there for a five-minute presentation with the director. They have a shipment of supplies going into Mariupol.

Mariupol is on the Eastern Coast of Ukraine. Russian shelled this city mercilessly and destroyed 90% of it. There are still 100,000 Ukrainians living there, even though it is occupied by the Russians. Dasia has heard that they might take 4,000 books into Mariupol with their supplies. But due to a shortage of funds they change their mind. We leave them a number of books to distribute to the refugees who will attend their camp meetings.

After dinner, with John and Dasia we head to the hotel. I can’t hide my disappointment that we are unable to get the books to the people who need them the most on the Eastern front. Together we take this to the Lord. All three of us pray that God might make away. Jason remembers his contact with Liz and the medical supplies and reaches out to see if they could take the books. She responds with, “we move at night and in the shadows, making it difficult to distribute the books, but I’ll check.” Later, she reaches out and says she can move 2,500 books into Mariupol with their medical supplies.  All of those books will be shipped to the only operating hospital in Mariupol! None of this would have would have been possible without Jason’s God-ordained meeting in Wilmington, Delaware one week earlier.

July 7, 2022 – God Spreading the Message of Hope to the Nations

We arrive at ARCA Printing and begin to load the books. Dinusha, a supervisor, gives me a tour of the operation. The sounds of the various machines make it hard to hear. Copies of The Ukrainian Tale are having their covers affixed. I turn around to see the adult copy of Safe in the Storm coming off another press in the German language. I’m overwhelmed again. Both the Germans and Ukrainians have translated this message of hope and are sharing it with their people. I had forged these principles for overcoming anxiety in the counseling office, the classroom and the pulpit. God is using the power of the printed word to share it with others through translations in languages I cannot speak or understand.

Dinusha introduces me to her director. I began to tell them of my journey as she translates for me. They are thankful to have been a part of what God is doing for the refugees. As we prepare for future printings, I ask Dinusha what’s an average print job for their company. She replies: 3,000-5,000 books. I pause. We had ordered 51,000 books in a single order. She goes on to tell me that A Ukrainian Children’s Tale had run nonstop on their color press for four solid days in June. I could never have imagined this. God is doing something that only he can do.

With Dasia and John, we cross over to the Czech Republic. At an Evangelical Lutheran church, we will meet Pastor Martin, and the chairwoman of a Refugee Service, Ilona. Martin takes several hundred books for refugees, but it’s the conversation with Ilona that stirs my interest. As she looks at the children’s book she responds with “we could have used this book 8 years ago.” Then she begins to tell me of refugees from Syria, Iraq, Iran, China, Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan—all pushing up into Europe. I’m getting an education in parts of the world with which sadly I am totally unfamiliar. In rapid fire order, Ilona is putting nation’s names to the 36.5 million refugee children I want to help. I make a mental note that I need to talk with her again.

From there we meet with Pastor Peter. Jason refers to him as a gentle giant. I think of him as a librarian. He seems unassuming, but when he talks about books there’s a twinkle in his eye. He recalls stories of smuggling Christian books in with his father who was a pastor during the communist era in Poland. He understands the value of a book to change a life. He’s requested 2,400 books. After he hears our story, he asks for 1,000 more. Within two weeks of our initial delivery, Peter will be requesting additional books. We pick up more books at Arca Printing and begin the 4 ½ hour drive through the mountains of the Czech Republic to a Word of Life Camp that used to be a communist retreat center.

Adelle is a youth worker there who heard about the books from a Facebook post. Earlier, she sent us an email expressing their interest. When we arrive, we learn that with the war going on, Ukrainian children will be crossing the border to experience a week of summer camp in the Czech. They need the books. We drop off hundreds of books and share our journey with the staff.

Adam, one of the staff members, thanks us and tearfully adds, “What God is doing with you just put wind in our sails.” I’m reminded how weary the Christian workers are in Europe as the war rages on, and how much they appreciate a simple visit. We spend the night in a quaint hotel in Cernan Horne, preparing for an early start the next day.

July 8, 2022 – The Balkan Road and Other Refugee Stories

The sun comes up at 4:30 AM in this part of the world; we’re on the road before 6:00. It’s a long drive back to Cieszyn, Poland, and we’re nearly out of books again. One of Dasia’s contacts was a pastor serving on the Czech side of the river. His home is next to his church. He greets us and invites us into his home.

We pass an aging German Shepherd mix, and he comments, “that’s a refugee dog.” As we enter his home, there’s a parakeet screeching in the cage on the counter. He smiles and adds “that’s a refugee bird.” There’s another dog rattling a cage in another room. It sounds like I’ve entered a pet shop; an ever-present reminder that when refugees travel, they do not travel alone. A half-a-dozen mattresses fill the space that used to be his office.

He begins to tell his story. His aging parents still live in Mariupol. When the war started, phone service was interrupted there. He couldn’t contact them for 2 ½ months. Presently 90% of the city has been destroyed. There is no electric, food, or water. The 100,000 remaining residents are surviving off the humanitarian aid that arrives daily. When I ask if his parents would ever consider leaving, he pauses, shaking his head. “Probably not. Their home is all they have. They’re fortunate. A bomb landed 100 meters away, but their home wasn’t severely damaged.”

He continues, his words unassuming. “I tell God, I’ll take care of the refugees here. Please take care of my family over there.” Our conversation shifts to the refugees he’s caring for. He adds, “We try to meet their physical needs. But there are also psychological needs.” He tells of children staying with them who run and hide when they hear a plane overhead. Of a mother who covers her ears and trembles at loud noises. Of people who are frightened and anxious. The refugees didn’t leave the war behind; they have brought the trauma of it with them.

His phone rings, a van arrives, and our conversation is cut short. His church has collected clothes that need to be transported to the van for one of the refugee centers. We help him load the van. A refugee comes in rejoicing that his visa has cleared. As he leaves, another will take his place.  

The pastor smiles as he serves, but his weariness is palpable. He is helping hurting people 24 hours a day with no end in sight. We leave the remainder of our books with him and head in the direction of the printer. But there’s another stop we’ll need to make first.

The Balkan Road

Ilona first got involved in helping refugees through a prayer meeting. She heard of the needs of refugees in the Balkans and began to travel there to meet with them. After our brief meeting two days ago, I asked Dasia if she could arrange another meeting. Our team meets with her for lunch. Ilona is a practicing attorney, but her real mission is to help refugees. She and another attorney founded the Refugee Center (a local organization in the Czech Republic to aid displaced people). Her limited English doesn’t hide her excitement in talking about her mission. She speaks with firsthand knowledge when she tells how people cross over through Turkey and follow the Balkan Road up into Western Europe. She’s been there. She’s seen them.

When I ask further about the Balkan Road, she hurriedly opens her laptop, spilling her soft drink in the process. I can’t read her PowerPoint as it’s in Czechoslovakian, but it’s the map she’s after. Three separate routes come up out of Turkey. The refugees hug the national borders, looking for ways to find acceptance in a new country. They come by the millions; many of whom are children traveling alone. They are repeatedly denied entrance into the countries through which they are traveling. They may be beaten, rejected, and often pushed back. But still they come.

Ilona continues, “Some children are born on Balkan Road, they are a people without a country, no birth certificate or land to call their own” “And on the Balkan Road” she adds, “They are disconnected from their people. They are more ready to listen. They are more open to the gospel.” Ilona is on a tight schedule. She graciously excuses herself to another meeting. But before she leaves, she turns to me and says, “Get ready. The next wave of refugees is coming out of Northern Africa.”

iCare Ukraine

Back at ARCO Printing, we load up another 8,500 books and prepare to drive to Krakow. Pastor Tomac has made a connection for us there. The NGO, iCare Ukraine, puts together individual care packets and distributes them to newly arriving refugees as they cross the border. They want to include our children’s and adult books in each packet.

As we near the facility, we discover that our English-speaking connection will not be available. We find ourselves dependent on the Lord and we pray. It is raining hard, and we arrive a few minutes before they are locking up the warehouse. A videographer happens to be working on a project who speaks both English and Polish. He translates for us, and we back the van into a massive warehouse and unload 8,000 books. Within a few weeks nearly all these books will be gone. We’re 150 days into the war and refugees are still crossing the border in large numbers. The need remains great.

Later that night, we meet a local campus pastor. His ministry is to the many international students who study in Krakow. His wife just had surgery, they are in the process of moving, and they have three young children. Still, he meets us at the hotel to receive the books. There is so little in the language of the people. Again, I’m amazed at the commitments these brothers and sisters in Christ have in their desire to help others.

July 9, 2022 – Have We Learned Anything from the Past?

Our van is empty again. It is hard to imagine, that we have nearly completed our distribution in five days. The three of us take the morning and visit Auschwitz Birkenau—the largest Nazi Prison camp. The foundations of the barracks give silent testimony of the evil that can live within the heart of humanity. The property is massive. We spend the morning walking through it in silence, reading the placards that describe what took place there during the Nazi regime.

Most prisoners would exit the trains, be ushered into a wooded area, and stripped of their clothes and belongings. Standing naked in the woods at the door of a building, they are told to enter the group showers. But they are not showers, they are gas chambers.

Once the counterfeit shower room is full, the doors would be locked, and Zyklon B gas would fill the room. With the execution complete, the dead bodies would be dragged to the incinerator. It would happen over and over again. 1.1 million times to be exact.

Twenty Jews would organize a revolt. They blow up one of the gas chambers, but the other would remain in operation. When Germany surrenders, the German soldiers blow up the other chamber, hoping to hide the atrocities of what took place there. That collapsed building remains. A reminder that history is the ultimate accountability partner.

As we walked through Auschwitz Birkenau, you couldn’t help but draw the comparisons that evil was still having its effect on humanity. Putin wanted Ukraine, just like Hitler wanted Europe. We exit the infamous death gate of Auschwitz and cross over the railroad tracks. There is no laughter, just the increasing burden to help more.

Return to Where it All Began

On our drive back to Warsaw, we decide to visit the EXPO—the warehouse that started this journey—one last time. There’s a new group of Dutch volunteers manning the food truck. Enrico, a reporter for his local Holland paper in Zwartsluis, Holland wants to tell my story. As I share the story with Enrico, I grow reflective and pen my opening entry of this journal. I am overwhelmed that God would make a way for us to help people who are hurting so badly.

Remarkably, today marks the 100^th day from that first $25,000 gift that started this journey. In 40 days, we had written, illustrated, and translated Safe in the Storm: A Ukrainian Children’s Tale for refugee children. In just six days we had distributed 25,000 copies of that book and 25,000 copies of Safe in the Storm: biblical strategies for overcoming anxiety. In less than one week, there were now 50,000 books offering help for the anxious in the hands of Ukrainian refugees throughout Ukraine, Poland, Germany, Czech Republic, and Romania. There is a sense that the work was done, but a deep longing to do more.

Jason and Asa pull out the soccer ball and kids join in. As we are packing up to go, Jason’s young friend, Sergei is tugging at his side. Using google translate, the two overcome the language barrier. Sergei speaks into his phone and holds it up for Jason to see.

“Are you leaving?” his phone reads.

“Yes,” Jason replies.

Sergei speaks again, his phone translating.

“When are you coming back?”

Jason’s phone says one thing. But his heart says another.

His heart speaks for all of us when it says, “Soon, Sergei. Very soon.”

We are presently raising funds for our second printing and distribution. If you would like to help us help Ukrainian refugee children and adults; you may donate here.

Phil Moser is the author behind the Biblical Strategies series for personal growth, counseling, and discipleship. His men’s small group study, 4M Training, helps men apply key spiritual growth dynamics. His unique small group videos are beautifully filmed at National Park locations and are offered free of charge. They are an excellent addition to the Biblical Strategies family of resources. His works have been translated into Mandarin, Russian, and German.

Read the story then find out how you can help refugee children

Safe in the Storm a Ukrainian Children’s Tale is a story that gives a message of hope to Ukrainian refugee children displaced throughout Europe. Written by an American pastor and beautifully illustrated by an elementary school art teacher this children’s adventure tale answers the question, “When I feel alone, how do I know God really cares?”

The first Ukrainian/Russian printing of 25,000 copies will be given away freely in Europe during the summer of 2022. Please share this story with your friends, read it to your children, and then pray for those children displaced by war.

While the story is only published in the language of the refugees, you may read a digital copy by clicking the image below. Following the story, watch the interview to learn how God providentially brought about this children’s book from start to finish in less than 30 days. You will discover ways you can help towards the end of the blogpost.

Read The Ukrainian Children’s Tale in English

The Interview: How a pastor and an art teacher wrote a Ukrainian Adventure Tale

3 WAYS YOU CAN HELP:

(1) Prayer partners are needed.

Numerous prayer partners were essential in taking this project from start to finish in less than a month. Additional prayer partners are needed for contacts with mission agencies, churches and refugee centers throughout Poland and Europe for distribution this summer.

(2) Contacts in Europe are needed.

By God’s gracious provision, we have 50,000 books to give away in Europe in June/July. 10,000 of these will go directly into Ukraine. The remaining 40,000 (both the adult Safe in the Storm book on anxiety and the children’s story A Ukrainian Tale) will need to be distributed throughout Europe. The books are free but will be distributed in bulk delivery. If you know of those in Europe who are ministering to refugees, please contact us at jason@biblicalstrategies.com.

(3) Funds for printing are needed.

All of the work for the children’s book was done pro bono. That means that your gifts will go directly to the cost of printing. Using a connection to a printer in Europe, we are able to print each book for around $1.00 each. Imagine. For the cost of your favorite Starbucks drink, you could bless 5-6 refugee children with a 50-page, full-color adventure story in their language. All gifts are tax-deductible. You can give online here. Or you can make checks out to “Advancing Biblical Strategies” and mail them to: 72 Kirschling Drive, Woolwich, NJ 08085

Phil Moser is the author behind the Biblical Strategies series for personal growth, counseling, and discipleship. His men’s small group study, 4M Training, helps men apply key spiritual growth dynamics. His unique small group videos are beautifully filmed at National Park locations and are offered free of charge. They are an excellent addition to the Biblical Strategies family of resources. His works have been translated into Mandarin, Russian, and German.

A number of years ago, I taught at a Ukrainian Seminary that translated and published my books for Ukrainians. When the Russia/Ukraine war began, a ministry partner in Europe used a printer in Poland to print 5,000 copies of Safe in the Storm: biblical strategies for overcoming anxiety and sent them in to Ukraine to be given away. Following their example, on March 16, 2022, we set as a goal to raise $25,000 to print 25,000 copies of Safe in the Storm to be given to Ukrainian refugees in Poland. At the time, that number seemed God-sized to me.

God Provides Precisely

Less than two weeks later, a local business owner inquired about the cost of the printing. When I told him it was $25,000, he replied, “You need to hear my story.” He proceeded to share of a business deal that had gone bad years earlier. However, a few weeks ago, the former business partner had written him to express regret and make right his portion of the debt. He had included his first of several payments: a check for $25,000. The business owner told me that for several days he had been staring at the check and asking Jesus what to do with it. Then he added, “Now I know.” A week later we received his gift for $25,000.  God had provided the exact amount, and we hadn’t even made the need known publicly.

The Needs of the Children

A few days later, through missionaries in Poland, I learned of a warehouse in Warsaw that was housing 5,000 women and children. That was an image I could not shake. Later that week, as I went for a run, it dawned on me, that while God had opened the door for me to help the adult refugees, I had done nothing for the Ukrainian children. In the middle of the run, I was overwhelmed with emotion at the thought of so many refugee children.

UNICEF reported “Every single minute, 55 children have fled their country. That is, a Ukrainian child has become a refugee almost every single second since the start of the war.”

“A Ukrainian child has become a refugee almost every single second since the start of the war.”

UNICEF spokesperson, James Elder

I kept thinking, “Pure religion and undefiled before God is this to visit orphans and widows in their distress” (James 1:27). By the time my run was over, I knew what I was to do. I would write a children’s story about two siblings and set the story in the geography and culture that Ukrainian children would recognize. A young brother and sister lost in a storm on the Black Sea, make their way to the lighthouse on an island. There, the lighthouse keeper takes them in and shares that God cared so much that he sent the Great Rescuer, Jesus. In the end, the children would be reunited with their parents. And so, Safe in the Storm: A Ukrainian Children’s Tale was born.

I reached out to a veteran missionary actively helping with the relief effort in Ukraine with the idea. He responded with four words: “Will pray. Much needed.”

I had a printer, and a story. I would need an illustrator, editors, and a translator.

The Rest of the Story

Years ago, a young woman’s family began attending our church. She was a gifted artist and had often responded to my last-minute requests for artwork. I called her, she caught the vision, and began sketching that day.

Having never written a work of fiction or a children’s book, I knew I would need help with the story and character development. Two young, creative storytellers joined the effort. Their help has been invaluable.

Over a decade ago, I met a young Ukrainian who had grown up in a ministry family in Ukraine. Under her and her husband’s advisement, we agreed upon a dual translation of both Ukrainian and Russian making the truths of the book understandable to as many refugees as possible.

In less than a week, God had provided a story, an illustrator, editors, a translator, and a printer.

In the meantime, our European ministry partner informed us that inflation was so rapid in Europe that the printer in Poland could only hold his contracted price for 24 hours before he would have to rebid with the paper supplier. Meaning, we would have to agree to accept a bid on printing a children’s book that had not yet been written, illustrated, translated, or funded.

And so it was that on April 14^th, less than one month after we had ordered 25,000 copies of the adult version of Safe in the Storm, we agreed to order 25,000 copies of a children’s version of Safe in the Storm: A Ukrainian Tale. In this way, both the mother and the child-age refugees would receive a book when the distribution took place. By faith, we would trust God to provide the strength and resources to complete the task.

Please Pray

The apostle Paul said that God can do exceedingly, abundantly above all we could ask or think. We are trusting that he will. Please pray with us in this effort.

Phil Moser is the author behind the Biblical Strategies series for personal growth, counseling, and discipleship. His men’s small group study, 4M Training, helps men apply key spiritual growth dynamics. His unique small group videos are beautifully filmed at National Park locations and are offered free of charge. They are an excellent addition to the Biblical Strategies family of resources. His works have been translated into Mandarin, Russian, and German.

Rachel and Jacob had infertility challenges. She desperately wanted to have children like her sister, but she was unable to. For Rachel it must have felt really dark, but the Bible offers hope for how we can be courageous in the face of pain and suffering. Eventually, she had her first-born, Joseph. She must have been elated to let her husband know that she was expecting again. But this labor would be more difficult, it would bring her great suffering, and her husband would suffer as well.

At her moment of greatest pain her midwife said to her, “DO NOT BE AFRAID, for you have another son” (Gen. 35:17). The Bible goes on to add, “and as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin” (Gen. 35:18).

The midwife attempted to encourage Rebecca through her pain and suffering by helping her see the purpose—she had given birth to a son. When we experience pain and suffering, it’s easy to lose sight of our purpose. It’s easy to imagine that our purpose is comfort or personal safety. We forget that we were born for nobler purposes than simply to please ourselves. That’s the kind of thinking that got humanity into trouble in the first place.

We were not created to experience pain and suffering—we can expect it to be hard.

When sin came into the world, it didn’t come alone. It was accompanied by pain and loss. Adam and Eve experience that loss firsthand. Their relationship with God changed. He no longer walked with them in the cool of the garden.  Their relationship with one another changed too—and not for the better. One of them would stand by the other’s grave and know the pain of loss.

I’m reminded that this kind of pain is unavoidable each time I leave the cemetery after a funeral service. A pastor friend of mine was fond of saying we were not created to die; we were created to live. Without Christ, we don’t have the apparatus to deal with it properly. Death is intentionally painful—particularly for those left behind. The graveside forces us to face our fears of pain and loss. It reminds us that our pleasures, hopes, and joys are not permanent this side of heaven.

Pain and suffering distract us from our primary goal of serving others and glorifying God.

Our central purpose is to serve others and glorify God. When pain and suffering roll in, it’s easy to believe our sole purpose is to get relief. But rarely does that purpose inspire the kind of courage necessary to deal with pain and loss. Even if there is temporary relief, when the pain comes back its often accompanied by an even greater fear.

When Benjamin is born, Rachel’s midwife gives her a sense of purpose with the words,

“Do not be afraid, you have another son.” And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin (Gen. 35:17, 18).

The reminder that a son was born was meant to encourage Rachel. But Rachel didn’t see it that way. The name she gave her son (Ben-oni) means “son of my sorrow.” All Rachel could see in the moment was her pain and loss. The boy’s father changed the name and the meaning. Benjamin means “son of my right hand.”

Your pain and suffering will be used to encourage someone else.

It’s true. This world is filled with sorrow. It’s easy to look at what might be coming down the pike and be afraid. No one would blame you. But where there’s pain, there’s also hope. As Sarah takes her last breath; Benjamin takes his first. God was busy writing a story of new life.

When Jacob’s favored son, Joseph, goes mysteriously missing for 22 years, Benjamin will be the son that encourages his father. He will literally become the son of his right hand. In her death, Rachel had fulfilled her purpose. She had provided a young man who would be her husband’s source of encouragement while he mourned the loss of Joseph for two decades.

When you’re afraid don’t lose sight of your purpose. God doesn’t waste pain and suffering. He will use yours to minister to someone else, even if you must wait until eternity to see it.  

Phil Moser is the author behind the Biblical Strategies series for personal growth, counseling, and discipleship. His men’s small group study, 4M Training, helps men apply key spiritual growth dynamics. His unique small group videos are beautifully filmed at National Park locations and are offered free of charge. They are an excellent addition to the Biblical Strategies family of resources. His works have been translated into Mandarin, Russian, and German.

Much of what we practice as adults we learned from our parents when we were children. That’s great when it comes to good character qualities like integrity, compassion, and a strong work ethic. But it can be challenging when you’re trying to break life-long habits of fear and deceit. Here’s the good news: you do not need to be afraid just because your parents were.

Abraham’s son, Isaac, married a beautiful woman. His wife was so attractive that he feared that his neighbors would kill him just to marry her. So, when he moved into a new area, and the neighbors came inquiring, he told them she was his sister. He did exactly what his dad had done when he was afraid—he lied. His cowardly actions left his wife vulnerable. Fear will do that—we protect ourselves even if it places those we love in danger.

It’s easy to pass on our fears to our kids. Isaac’s parental example was his father (Abraham) who lied to protect himself, putting his wife, Sarah, in a similar, dangerous situation. The same happens today. There’s a good chance you inherited some of your fears from your parents. There’s an equally good chance you’re going to pass those fears on to your kids. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Notice God’s words to Isaac.

That night the Lord appeared to him [Isaac] and said, ‘I am the God of your father Abraham. DO NOT BE AFRAID, for I am with you; I will bless you and will increase the number of your descendants for the sake of my servant Abraham’ (Genesis 26:24).

God points to the past.

God reminded him that he was the God of his Father, Abraham. Even though Abraham had acted in fear, God had been faithful. The Lord had kept his promise to Abraham when Isaac was born in Abraham and Sarah’s old age. Trust is built when we look back and see another’s faithfulness.

God comforts in the present.

God gave a command based upon a truth. Do not be afraid (command), for I will be with you (truth). Throughout the Scripture, when fear is present, God often reminds the Biblical character of his presence.  Even though we cannot see him, we are not alone.

God promises a future.

God also made a promise: He would bless Isaac as he had blessed his father, Abraham. He wasn’t the end of the genetic line. There would be children to follow.

God assured Isaac that he could break the cycle of fear. When he was afraid, he didn’t need to lie. He could tell the truth and rest easy that God was with him. If his dad—who had succumbed to fear—had only trusted God when he was afraid, he wouldn’t have needed to lie.

Phil Moser is the author behind the Biblical Strategies series for personal growth, counseling, and discipleship. His men’s small group study, 4M Training, helps men apply key spiritual growth dynamics. His unique small group videos are beautifully filmed at National Park locations and are offered free of charge. They are an excellent addition to the Biblical Strategies family of resources. His works have been translated into Mandarin, Russian, and German.

Tears come for any number of reasons: joy, disappointment, sadness, or fear. We try so hard not to cry when we’re afraid. From our youth, it seems we’re told to be brave. Tears are for the weak. But God has a different approach. When the handmaiden Hagar is sent into the wilderness with her young son Ishmael, God brings comfort not judgement. Do not be afraid: God sees your tears.

God heard the boy crying, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her ‘What is the matter, Hagar? DO NOT BE AFRAID; God has heard the boy crying as he lies there’ (Genesis 21:17).

Fears Bring Tears.

Ishmael’s tears were legit. He knew the emotional rejection of his father Abraham. Both, he, and his mother had been sent away, and now the food and water had run out. He was at the end of himself. Even his mother, Hagar, had abandoned him because she couldn’t handle watching him die.  It is in that moment that God speaks through an angel. Hagar was directed to a well of water for her immediate need, and God offered hope through a promise that her son would live and from him a nation would grow. God didn’t condemn the tears of fear, he stepped in to help.

God doesn’t shame us for our fearful emotions.

Have your fears paralyzed you? Do your day-to-day activities overwhelm you? Do tears spring from a hidden well—from who knows where? Here is a source of encouragement: God doesn’t shame us for our emotion. He pays attention to our fears especially when the reservoir breaks loose. Do your fears bring forth tears?

God hears.                                             

God sees.

And God acts.

He isn’t ignoring you. He’s moving on your behalf.

You’re not alone.

In his words: Do not be afraid.

Phil Moser is the author behind the Biblical Strategies series for personal growth, counseling, and discipleship. His men’s small group study, 4M Training, helps men apply key spiritual growth dynamics. His unique small group videos are beautifully filmed at National Park locations and are offered free of charge. They are an excellent addition to the Biblical Strategies family of resources. His works have been translated into Mandarin, Russian, and German.

We live in unprecedented times. Your news feed draws you in with apocalyptic headlines and equally terrifying images from around the world. During such times, your normally secure financial portfolio feels increasingly insecure. You may wonder what kind of world your kids will grow up in. It’s easy to feel afraid. There are 365 times in the Bible that God said we do not need to be afraid—one reminder for every day of the year. The first one is found in God’s words to Abram. You do not need to be afraid because God is your shield.

After this, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: ‘DO NOT BE AFRAID, Abram. I am your shield, your very great reward’ (Genesis 15:1).

The Psalms are filled with reminders that God is our shield.

But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head (Psalm 3:3).

The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold (Psalm 18:2).

For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does he withhold from those who walk uprightly (Psalm 84:11).

As our shield, God lifts our head when we’re discouraged. He is the refuge to which we can run when we’re in danger. He is the one who bestows favor and honor. This is why we turn to him when fear begins to creep in.

As our shield, we can run to the Lord when we’re fearful.

He is the one who protects us from the things we fear. The basic idea of the Hebrew word was to cover over and protect from danger. Isaiah captured this same idea when he wrote, “Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem; he will protect and deliver it; he will spare and rescue it” (Isaiah 31:5).

Several years ago, I watched a wild turkey cross the road where I work with a dozen week-old chicks in tow. Suddenly the mother began to run in circles with her wings up. As if on cue, the chicks ran for cover beneath her wings. As I pulled my car over, I could see a hawk repeatedly diving for the chicks that the mother was seeking to protect. Under her raised wings, they were promptly escorted across the street and into the woods. This is the image God gave us to think about. He will protect us; he knows the best way to move us from point A to point B. He is our shield.

Next time you’re afraid, remember that God is your shield.

When you are under attack, run to him for cover.

He will be your great reward.

Phil Moser is the author behind the Biblical Strategies series and 4M Discipleship for men. His unique small group videos are beautifully filmed at National Park locations and are offered free of charge. They are an excellent addition to the Biblical Strategies family of resources.