9/11/2001

It seems to me that every generation has a "where were you when..." you heard about this tragedy. For my mom, it was when President Kennedy was shot and killed. It was a tragic day and one that is stamped vividly in your memory. For me, it was when the World Trade Center and the Pentagon were bombed. At that time, my oldest daughter was 2 + years old. She was too young to remember it, but I'll never forget it. I was home, had gone to take a shower and got dressed. I had a phone message from a dear friend that was odd, talking about praying for the people in New York. I didn't understand. Then my husband called, and told me to turn on the news. I turned it on just in time to see the second tower be attacked, with an airplane crashing into it. I was stunned, as I think many people in the U.S. were at that time. I gathered my things, as I was on MOPS Steering Committee at that time, and we had a meeting that morning. So I went to my church, and listened to the news on the way there. It made me cry, I just couldn't understand why this was happening. We gathered together and prayed, a group of very sad moms that morning. We cried together and discussed what we had seen. I don't think we got much planning done that day. I remember the news showing the airplanes and the towers falling over and over and over.We watched as the Fire Department of New York City worked tirelessly for hours, days, months... It was so very, very sad. Thousands of people died that day. The Pentagon was also attacked, and we later learned that valient men saved another place from attack by crashing their plane elsewhere. I think that plane may have been heading to the White House. The terrible event shook up our whole country around us. I learned that our nation can be vulnerable to major attacks, and how there was security related to living in the U.S.A. and even that can be shaken too. My parents had flown just the night before the attacks, and I was a little concerned for them initially, but they were fine. Later we learned a family friend had been in one of the two towers of the World Trade Center, and that shook me up too. Eventually I just had to stop watching the news, it was too challenging to see it over and over, even as an adult. I have not been to NYC since that terrible day, but sometime I think I'd like to see the memorial from September 11. Several of my favorite artists wrote songs about it, including Michael W. Smith, "There She Stands" and Steven Curtis Chapman, who wrote, "Remember the Day." There was a strong feeling of patriotism and unity in our country for several months. Airports changed dramatically, especially the monitoring of bags and people. Many people were suspicious of those of Arabic descent, but it wasn't anything major. President George W. Bush did an amazing job leading our nation through it all. It seemed so senseless then, and I still feel that way. But the patriotism and unity... that was the best thing that came from the whole event. What about you? Where you alive then? What do you remember about that day 25 years ago?

Genesis 4:8 Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. Genesis 14:15 During the night Abram divided his men to attack them and he routed them, pursuing them as far as Hobah, north of Damascus. Psalm 56:1 Be merciful to me, my God, for my enemies are in hot pursuit; all day long they press their attack.