I Remember

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I remember the horror that swept the nation 11 years ago today. I remember watching with my classmates at Governor's School in the breakroom.  I remember the shock.  I remember the tears. I remember each of us holding onto one another as if we, too, could be taken from one another at any moment.  It was heartbreaking.

Seeing this now sends chills down my spine.

I remember the extensive news coverage that seemingly could only get worse.  I remember the timeline.  I remember seeing the unthinkable - a plane flying into a building and the explosion that followed.  I remember connecting the dots that there were people inside - human lives were being lost in front of my eyes.

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I remember the smoke billowing out of each of the Twin Towers, as dark as the hearts that caused this situation. 
I remember thinking, " I can't believe they attacked the Twin Towers."  A symbol of American prosperity and success.

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I remember thinking, "I can't believe they attacked the Pentagon!  The PENTAGON!"  A symbol of American strength and security. 

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And then there was United Airlines Flight 93.  This plane was also hijacked, but the outcome was not what they wanted.  There, the terrorists took on the American spirit.  There, even though good and innocent people did not make it out alive, the terrorists lost.

It's so easy to turn to depression or grieving when you think about that day.  It is so easy to let the darkness overtake the light.  It's easy to get angry.  It's easy to forget the blessings of life.  Instead of doing that, though, I am going to take a different path - a less traveled one.  This choice is one that I haven't always made - mainly because the other path is so much easier and it's a natural reaction.  Instead of choosing fear, sadness, and darkness, I am choosing faith.

Here's what I know. I know that God is good.  I know that He loves us and wants us to be happy.  I know that He made the ultimate sacrifice for each and every one of us.  I know that God is love.  I pray for all of the people who were touched by 9/11.  I pray for peace and I pray that God wraps His arms around us all because we really could use more of Him in our world and in our lives.

Here's some encouragement, folks.  Hold on to the people you love.  Tell them how much they mean to you.  Put down whatever you're tangled up in at work and wrap your arms around your loved ones.  Make that phone call you've been putting off for any number of unimportant reasons.  Put your heart on the line for someone else.  Lift your neighbors up in prayer.  Lift the world up in prayer.  Hold tight to your faith and if you have no faith, find some.  If you feel that's not possible, please come see me - I can help you with that.

I leave you with this.  May it bring peace to your hearts and minds today.  It surely did for me this morning.


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Love always,