Ukrainian Rooster

 

A few weeks ago I had the opportunity to visit the Ukraine. My Mother and Father were both born there and immigrated to Canada when they were young. My cousin, Eugene, who lives in Alberta had been there 3 times before and now was going to go again…alone.  He had the contacts, he knew the language. It occurred to me that this was my time.

 

We stayed with a second cousin, Nina, who lived on a subsistence farm in the village where my Dad grew up.  Right across the road the spring that turned my grandfather's mill wheel was still flowing…now 81 years later; there was no trace of the mill.  

 

We started visiting relatives: my Dad's cousins, our second cousins, neighbors of cousins… I found the people very very hospitable.  The food and drink never stopped.  But most families had recently suffered a loss.  A father died. A mother died.  In one case, a son had just passed away.  I felt the grieving and the sorrow.  I learned that with the current structure, there was much unemployment and the young people were bored and they turn to alcohol. 

 

My mornings started early, 5 –5:30 AM.  I would go watch the gathering of the cows for a walk down the road to pasture, then I would go out to the summer kitchen, make myself a coffee and sit outside and pray.  About the third morning I found myself overwhelmed with thoughts about where I was and the history of this land.  My Dad had walked this road.  My great grandparents had a house just behind that haystack.  There is so much sadness all around.  I started to cry and could not stop.  I heard a rooster crow and instead of the usual "Cocka-doodle-dooooo" I heard "Ya Critchiy-yooooo".  In Ukrainian that translates "I am crying out". This was quite a shock. I couldn't have interpreted that translation! I went inside and Eugene was stirring.  He looked at me and said, "What's wrong?"  My Mom, my Dad, these people, the rooster!  He understood becauseEugene was prone to crying whenever the evening relatives and neighbors would start to sing those Ukrainian songs.  What about the rooster?  I told him about the rooster.  I thought about this most of the day.  I felt that this was a cry from the people of this land.  They need help.  They need prayer.

 

The next morning was pretty much the same.  The cows, the coffee and prayer time.  I started to cry again and again I went inside still crying.  Eugene said, Bill, Bill, Bill.  Nina came out of her bedroom and asked why I was crying.  I said, I didn't know. She said to Eugene, Maybe he misses his wife.  Може?

 

The next morning I felt a release. I heard the roosters crow again but this time I heard "Ya Croutill-aaaaaaaa" which I interpreted as "I am turning".  I had a phone conversation with Susan, my wife that day and told her what was happening.  She gave me the scripture, Psalm 30:11 "You turned my wailing into dancing;  you removed my sackcloth and clothed me with joy" .

 

The next morning the rooster crowed, "Dobra Ran-ooooooooooo", "Good morning", and later I learned that the Ukrainians take the rooster crow as a cleansing, purification and the breaking of a new day. 

 

I shared this as the Baptist Church in my Fathers village the following Sunday.  There were many teary eyes.  The news spread quickly even among the unchurched that some Canadian was crowing like a rooster, "Ya Critchiy-yooooo", at the Baptist Church.   

 

I brought home a rooster painted to a breadboard to remind me to continue to pray for the country of Ukraine. Lord, as Psalm 30:12 goes on to say, I pray that their hearts may sing your praises and not be silent. Lord, may they praise you forever.