It was such a beautiful day, clear blue sky and sunshine, a gentle breeze. I headed over to my mother-in-laws to help her get ready for our monthly Christian Women's Club Prayer Coffee at my friend Lee Ann's house. I remember thinking, "God, thank you for days like this, when I don't have a care in the world and can think of a million little miracles and blessings that You've given me." Barb and I were just getting ready to sit down for breakfast when Mike called. "Turn the T.V. on Jana, we've been atttacked." I remember thinking that surely he had to be mistaken, we've been attacked? By who? How? We're the United States of America for crying out loud. Those were not words that I'd heard in my entire life, and something that I hope to never hear again - that we've been attacked. I didn't believe it. Then I turned on the television, and there it was, right in front of my eyes as plain as it could be, telling the story as it happened.
Barb and I watched in horror; one tower had already been hit and then another low flying plane suddenly hit the second building. We were speechless, tears rolling down both our faces, riveted to the T.V., fear constricting my heart. It was incomprehensible to me, I couldn't process what I was seeing. I felt numb as I watched things falling out of the top of the World Trade Center towers and then realized that those "things" were people jumping out of the building. I couldn't understand why they would do that; there were firemen and policemen on their way up to rescue them, why didn't they just wait for help? But the horrors kept piling on top of eachother as we watched first one building buckle and then collapse followed by the second one.
Then the reports of a third plane flying into the Pentagon and a fourth plane crashing in a field in Pennsylvania. My mind was whirling, where was it going to end? Were there planes throughout the country full of suicide bombers ready to kill and destroy more lives? Was the end of the world finally here?
I looked at my precious mother-in-law and saw terror and confusion mirrored in her eyes. We couldn't just sit there, we needed to get out of the house. I began to make phone calls to the other ladies in our prayer group. We still needed to meet. I remember the phone call to Lee Ann, she was inconsolable, wondering if we shouldn't just forget about our prayer coffee. I told her "Lee Ann, there's nothing better or more effective that we can do right now than get together and lift up this nation to God. We need one another and we need to take this to Him!"
We spent the morning in prayer, and then again that evening we went to a prayer gathering that one of the other local churches called. We were all exhausted with the sensless tragedy of the entire day, the thousands of lives that had been taken, the thousands more that would never be the same. If we here in Wyoming were feeling the immensity of this day, what were those in New York and Washington D.C. feeling? How were they coping with the unbelievable events?
There was beauty amidst the ashes, though. I watched in amazement as our country pulled together, truly pulled together. For the first time that I could really remember there were no political lines, no Rebuplican or Democrat, no Left or Right. We were just Americans, grieving together, dealing with fear and apprehension together. Patriotism ran strong, differing politics just didn't seem to matter at the time. I was brought to tears as our Congress sang "God Bless America" together. God was bringing a country that was full of division and strife together. God was doing that. And people were turning to God, because after something like this, where else in the world are you going to turn? Churches were filled, people were able to witness and testify to the power and strength of God more than ever because people were yearning for answers. We were a country that felt like a family.
But I think we've forgotten. Sure, we'll remember today, as we've been remembering all week. There will be memorials and documentaries and our memories will come alive with the images that we witnessed 10 years ago. But we've gone back to our secure, comfortable and easy lives and we've forgotten that it can all be taken away in an instant. I know that I have, and I'm ashamed. Because despite the devastation and the destruction and the change in the New York City skyline and the families that have forever been changed and the change that has occurred in our country in terms of how we travel and how we deal with terror, God is still the same. He never changes. He is still in control. "I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness." Jeremiah 31:3. "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; He will never leave you nor forsake you." Deuteronomy31:6.
Over the past several days we've asked one another: Do you remember? Where were you when you heard that we were being attacked? What were you doing & how did you process what was happening in front of your eyes? Where did you turn with your grief, fear and horror that was the result of 9/11. Share, share your thoughts, your memories, your feelings, your fears. Because it's in the sharing and the remembering that we keep in mind the sacrifices of those who died that day. Some made that sacrifice unwillingly, but others made it willingly. We need to remember, because we still need to be committed to praying for our country and our people, as much now as ever. Let's never forget what happened on that Tuesday morning 10 years, not to rehash the pain and terror that we felt, but to learn from how we pulled together as a nation, how we loved one another and felt eachother's pain and loss and how we turned to the God of this country and put our trust and our faith in Him. I could say that morning, and I can still say today "God thank you for days like this, when I don't have a care in the world and can think of a million little miracles and blessings that You've given me." but I also want to add, "Please protect our country, Lord. Make us a little more aware of what is important and a lot less concerned with what isn't. Help us to love one another. Bring us to a place where You are Lord, Master and King of America. Be with those men and women who are still fighting this war with a people that hate us. Remind us that You are in control. Amen"
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