Just Send Me Word: A True Story of Love and Survival in the Gulag by Orlando Figes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I read this book on my kindle. I was enticed by a review I read, and presto, I bought it and read it. Gotta love this instant society.

The world that Svetka and Lev lived in was definitely NOT an instant world. Theirs was a world where communication was sporadic, censored, and even dangerous. Despite these odds, they persisted in their love for each other, and continued to devise ways to "speak" through letters, photographs, and the occasional (never more than annually) visit.

Lev and Svetka devised a system of numbering each letter, so communications could be accounted for, and they would know if a letter was missing. Svetka communicated about the outside world to Lev, and Lev shared what life was like in the Gulag to Svetka. Their love, although not often spoken with words (despite all these letters), comes through in their words of encouragement and hope to each other.

Researchers are amazed at these uncensored letters which give a peek into life in the 1940s in both Moscow and the Gulag. Letter writing, and journaling, are becoming a lost art. I wonder if historians will find any depth to the writings they will cull from blogging, tweeting, facebook and the like? It seems that the richness of language diminishes with the more technology that we have. The letters in this book, however, will give you a good picture of who Lev and Svetka are, the lives they led, and admiration for their courage and persistence.

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He Cares About You Affectionately

Lately I've been keep track of two eagle nests via ustream. I've just been fascinated by how the eagle parents are taking care of their babies.

I began watching the first nest some weeks after the babies were born. I'm not sure how old they are, but they have been cracking me up lately. Although they don't fly yet, they've discovered they have wings. It's often very windy up in their nest, and they'll stretch out their wings and let the wind ruffle their under-feathers, then they take a short run and hop up and down with all their might. Practicing I guess, for the big day. I really hope I get to see them take their first flight. I imagine it will be exhilarating for them. I suppose eagles don't really feel, but if you subscribe to any Narnia imaginings at all, I would think they would be first scared, then surprised, and then, oh, such fun!

In the second nest I'm watching, the babies are just born. I saw the parents sitting on the eggs, and then sitting on the babies once they were born. They took turns with the sitting, and it was fascinating to me to see how carefully they maneuvered their talons around the eggs, and then the babies. Then they would hunker down, rocking back and forth, until the eggs/babies were totally protected. The same thing is true for when they are feeding their babies. These huge beaks, powerful enough to tear the flesh off fish, and yet carefully feeding the eaglets tiny bites of their meal.

The interesting thing about the AEF Ustream is that there are different camera views. One of the cameras is positioned above the nest, others are positioned evenly with the nest. I've been loving the view above the nest, and here's why. If you look at the views with the camera even with the nest, it looks like the eaglets are vulnerable and exposed. But, when you look at the view above the nest, you see one or both of the parents watching over them from the edge of the nest. They are constantly looking into the distance and around them, protecting their family.

It's just been reminding me so much of God. How sometimes we feel all alone, and like He's stepped out of our sphere. But He's right there watching over us. We might think He's not there, but we're wrong.

In 1 Peter 5:7 we read this (from the Amplified version): "Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully." (Italics mine).

 For me, that above the nest camera view is a perfect picture of God watching over me. In my human-ness, I don't always see Him, but that's because I'm not using the eyes of my heart. God has promised that what He says is true, and the eagles remind me that He cares for me.



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