I wonder how many people are thinking back to 23 years ago today when the twin towers in New York were stuck by planes and fell? Our country vowed to 'Never Forget' - but have we? Have we made sure that our children remember what happened on that day? I believe Chuck Norris called it 'a new generation's attack on Pearl Harbor'. And you can only understand that comment if you remember the attack on Pearl Harbor and the start of WW2 for the USA.
On that date, 9-11-2001, many ran to God and sought Him, thinking the world was coming to an end. And when it didn't, they stopped seeking, and returned to their own ways, their own life. Never giving 9/11 another thought. Do you even remember what you were doing that date?
I got to work - I was working at Mercy Care Plan when we were downtown. I was always there by 6-6:30AM and working. A couple other people had drifted in. A TV was on in the conference room so people could watch the early morning news. I was working and someone came running and said 'come see what's on the TV'!. Those of us working dropped what we were doing and rushed to the conference room where we were stunned in to silence. How could someone dare 'touch' the United States of America in a peaceful time? How dare they?! And yet, they did. We watched what was going on; we watched the second plane hit. Stunned, all we could do was stand there, with tears falling down our faces. We were unnerved.
Many people called in to say they were staying home, fearful of what might be coming next. We were offered the opportunity to go home, but I opted to stay, as many of the few that were there did. There was nothing we could do at home. I continued to work that day, occasionally going to the TV to see what was happening. It seemed like an unreal movie that was being played out. The shock was real. It was eerily quiet, very few people talking in the office. Stunned. Shocked. Scared.
I read Max Lucado's most recent book the past few days and in it he wrote what he did when this day happened. He called his wife and they agreed. They each drove to their children's school - he to the elementary, her to the high school. He didn't stop at the office for permission, he went to the classroom. The teacher knew why he was there. She let his child go with him. He met his wife back at home and they gathered the children close. If anything was going to happen, they were going to be together. They prayed. They loved each other. They were family.
Who would have even thought that something like that could happen in our country, in our lifetime? But it did. And it could happen again. We were fearful every time a large crowd got together. We still are. We forgot the tragedy of that day, how it changed the world. We only remember when that day comes around each year, and today is no different.
I have an admin meeting this morning and the person leading it has 'instructed' all of us to wear red, white and blue in remembrance of those who lost their lives that day. We have the 9-1-1 Tower Climb in Tucson; not sure when that takes place. I 'did it' a few years ago - not in Tucson. At that time they let us walk the number of steps to the top of the Twin Towers outside or on a treadmill, in remembrance. We signed up and received the TV, and a lanyard with a photo of a firefighter who lost their life that day. We both still have them. We put on our 9-1-1 t-shirt and wore the lanyard and went to the gym where we walked the number of steps from the ground floor to the top.
I tried to google how many steps that was - but didn't want to spend time on that - there were 110 floors in each building. Interesting facts. Try googling for information on how many steps. 30,000 cups of coffee were served every day. 17 babies had been born at the twin towers. 3 men had parachuted off the top. 1 man had walked a tightrope between the two buildings. Interesting facts. But all in the past. Never to happen again. Mind-boggling.
But did we forget what happened that day? I admit, I don't think of it a lot. I do on occasion when I see the t-shirt still hanging in my closet. I have a few 9-1-1 t-shirts and I usually wear one on this date. None are red/white/blue - I wonder if I could wear one of those instead? I may, just because I choose to be different.
If you stop to think about it.... I wonder how many people from Jesus' time, made the comment to 'never forget' what happened the day that Jesus was crucified. Oh we remember His sacrifice - yes, it was a sacrifice for He willingly went to the cross for you and for me. But that day, too, changed the world. We had a Savior, who gave up His life willingly, for you and me. We remember, when we take communion. But, what about other days? Do we take pause during the day to remember what Jesus did for us? Yes, His life was horrendously taken from Him, just like those who were in the Twin Towers that day. But He was buried after His death - and the best part - He rose again. Jesus is the reason we know that those who knew Him, those that were in the Twin Towers that day, are with Him and will never die. I pray that brings comfort to those who follow Jesus and lost their loved one that day.
And that is the hope we have even today. If you, your spouse, your child - if they were tragically taken today....... would those around them know where they were going, that they would have an eternal life with Jesus.... or be burned in hell for the rest of their lives. Would those grieving their loss be sorrowful of where you were going after death, or find peace in knowing you knew Jesus as Lord.
Sometimes it takes days like today to sit back and think about our lives. Are we teaching our children about Jesus and eternal life with Him? Our grandchildren? Or do we hand them over to hell because we don't want to be bothered with it; we want our own fun; we want our own way; we want to live our own life.
And there are days that all we can do is pray over them. Pray for their safety. Pray for their lives, that they will accept Jesus as Lord before it is too late. We may think we 'have time' before we pass away, and some of us may be lucky to be coherent enough to call out to Jesus for forgiveness before we breathe our last. We've all heard it happen. Death-bed conversions still get you into heaven. But what if your life is tragically taken away from you and there is no time?
Oh that we all will surrender our lives to Jesus and seek His face, ask His forgiveness, and receive His mercy and His grace, even though we do not deserve it. Daily we surrender our lives to Him as Savior and as Lord. Are you ready to take that step? Just ask Him; He is waiting for you with open arms. Teach your children and grandchildren about Jesus and His sacrifice....and never forget what He did for you.
Blessings.
