09-11-09

This day has foerever been changed for American’s… at least we can hope that it will be forever remembered.

Where were you 8 years ago?

Most of the world knew what was going on before I did.  You see, I was a stay-at-home mom of an almost 1 year old and we didn’t have cable.  Live streaming on the web wasn’t quite there yet, and all I had was a cell phone.

That phone rang.

On the other end of the line was my mom in Colorado, calling to let me know that an airplane had just struck a tower of the world trade center.  All of the sudden she stopped talking – then in a ruch she said “Oh my Goodness!  Another plane JUST HIT THE SECOND TOWER!!!!  I can’t believe this is happening?  What is going on?”

Many people lost their lives that day.  Many more people lost loved ones.  Many were afraid that they had lost someone, and the stories that came out over the next weeks and months of people who were running late to work or had to stay home with sick children came out.  Women whose husbands had given their lives to save others became heroes overnight.  Books were written, and America was united… for a while.

But now we look back through a filter of 8 years.

Can it truly have happened?  Was it real?

I had a cousin working at a hospital in NYC.  A cousin who had arrived home from a night shift and was in the shower when it happened.  A cousin who turned around and went back to work that morning to help however she could.  She sent out an email to her family letting us know that she was OK, and that she was heading back.

I have a friend who has made a ministry around caring for those firefighters who were impacted.  She takes teams of people to NYC a few times a year to minister to the firehouses.  They take coffee and cocoa and Jesus to these men and women.  They pray for them DAILY.  They listen to the stories.  The bring back the stories to Washongton State and share them with others who can pray more specifically.

We should all be praying for those who lost someone.  It’s the least we can do.

I went to NYC a couple of years ago.  Manhatten.  As we were walking, there was suddenly an empty space ahead in the sky – no buildings were there.  Yes, it sounds odd, but I was wondering why there was so much sky there.

Then I turned the corner.

and I remembered.

Twisted metal in a deep hole, a deep pile of rubble.  A huge expanse of sky above it with no tall buildings to block it.  A fire station directly across the street with a memorial set up to those that responded first… and lost their lives in the attempt to save others.

There is a memorial set up across the street with “found objects” a womans black pump, a spoon from the restaurant at the top, notes and photos of those who were and are missing.  Video from 9/11/01.  Teddy bears.

That is the hardest for me as a mom.  Knowing that children lost their lives, that children lost their parents.  Their grandparents, aunts and uncles.  Babies were orphaned overnight.  I look at my almost-9-eao-old daughter and know that it could just as easily have happened to her.  She could have lost Mommy or Daddy to an act of terror.  We could have lost her.

And it still could happen to any of us.

BUT

That is a powerful word, but I know another one that when added to it is so much more…

But GOD

That is the most powerful word in any language… GOD

GOD is the reason that we don’t need to live in fear.

GOD is the reason that we can have hope – hope for today and tomorrow.  Hope for our children and their children.

GOD is the one that brings peace to our hearts and minds and lives.

Yes, we should remember what happened 8 years ago.  Yes, we should keep those who were directly affected in our prayers.  Yes, we should be united as a country.  Yes, we need to teach our children about the ugly reality that this world is…

But GOD needs to be shared and taught even more so.  We need to live our lives in such a way that Jesus shines through us, that Jesus can use us to make an impact on the world around us.  That Jesus can impact the lives of our children and their children.  That Jesus can bring unity and love and kindness and justice and mercy and forgiveness and acceptance and peace and hope.

For without Him, there is no hope.

Lest I forget, lest we all forget.  Lives were sacrificed 8 years ago.  Lives were stolen away.  But there is a life that was freely given that can save us all, and those of us who know Him need to share Him with those who are hurting and fearful.  Those who are in need and those who have too much.  Those that need a Comforter and a Friend.

Remember those who were affected, and choose to be an effect on our world.

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