Friday, September 11, 2009

Do You Remember?


I'll never forget that fateful day eight years ago. Sitting in my office at LifeWay, working away, my boss came down the hall, gathering everyone in front of the closest TV. Mike's wife had just called and told him that the WTC had been hit by a plane. When he told us, I was in disbelief.

Needless to say, what followed was another crash into the other tower, a plane crash into the Pentagon, and another one in Pennsylvania. I couldn't believe it. What was bad at the beginning had gotten far worse. We were actually under attack!

Watching the news that day, I sat there with chills running down my spine. My memory flashed back to stories my grandmother had told me about Pearl Harbor's attack and the fear that she felt. Never in my lifetime did I ever think we would not be safe in the U.S.

That night, we told our children about the attacks and reassured them that they would be safe. Of course, Dad and Mom were there to protect them. At just 7 and 5, the images on the TV were more than they could understand. I'm sure they saw the concern on our faces as we watched the news most of the evening.

Today, memorial remembrances are being held all over the country for the 3000-plus people who died that day, all innocent victims of terrorists. As I watched the news this morning, I thought about how our family would have been affected had I, or our children's mother, had died in one of those situations. Work took me to various places where I had to fly, and it could have been me on one of those airplanes.

My purpose today is not to dredge up the frightful memories of that horrific day. Instead, I want to remind us to be grateful for our lives, for the country we live in (regardless of what we disagree with), and for our families. God has richly blessed us and while we struggle with differences between us, we still live in the best country in the world.

As you go through the day, why not take a few minutes to pause and pray for those who lost loved ones in those tragic events? And while you're at it, maybe say a prayer of gratitude for the blessings you have been given.

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