Skip to main content

9/11: we remember


Where were you on that day?  I was sitting at my desk preparing for the next Sunday when the phone rang.  One of our men asked me to pray for his son who was missing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC.  A few minutes later I walked across the street to our home where I watched the events of the day unfold … the second airplane hit the tower, the plane crashing in rural Pennsylvania as well the crumbling of both towers.

Our churches were full the following Sunday as fear gripped our nation, and even that very night a prayer meeting seeking God for help took place our church with many people seeking God for answers.  I shared these verses:

Do not be afraid of the terrors of the night, 
nor the arrow that flies in the day. 6 Do not dread the disease that stalks in darkness, 
nor the disaster that strikes at midday. 7 Though a thousand fall at your side,
 though ten thousand are dying around you, 
these evils will not touch you. 8 Just open your eyes,
 and see how the wicked are punished. 9 If you make the LORD your refuge, 
if you make the Most High your shelter, 10 no evil will conquer you;
 no plague will come near your home.

We have nothing to fear when God is our hope and our help.  He has everything in His hands.  Yes, life and death are in His control.  Not ours.  Our success and our understanding are also in His plan for us. 

I don’t have a clue why God would allow such terrible things to happen, but I do know that it is situations such as 9/11 that draw us closer to God and allow us to tell others about God.  Remembering what happened that day will bring us to the same place. 

Remember those who lost their lives on that difficult day.  Remember those who served, sharing and gave to help those who hurt and lost.  Remember the families of both.  Remember that God cared then, and God cares now.  We will not forget.  We remember. 

The pain of 9/11 reminds us that we serve a compassionate and loving God who holds us when disease or disaster strikes.  No darkness, no destruction, no pain can compare to the greatness of our God.  May we allow this 9/11, 11 years later to help us lean on God and to remember how good God was and is and will be in the days to come.


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Catalyst ticket arrived

My ticket to the Catalyst Conference, in Atlanta Oct 8-10, just arrived. I'm excited!

wash feet, sharing hope

  John 13:4-5,14 NLT  So he got up from the table, took off his robe, wrapped a towel around his waist, 5 and poured water into a basin. Then he began to wash the disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel he had around him… 14 And since I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you ought to wash each other’s feet. Jesus set the example we follow.  He served.  He valued and gave value to others.  That is why we choose to serve. For 18 years our church has shared an outreach called back2school, and for 16 of those years we have chosen to give students brand new shoes and socks as well as washing their feet.  It is one of the most important parts of this event. Washing feet is a humbling experience where both the give and the receiver learn how to share some moments that might change their lives.  Jesus said we should do this.  See the verse above.  Follow His example, do what He did, and give far more than you will ever know....

Have you heard of EDITH BURNS?

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas . She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people. His favorite patient was Edith Burns.  One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns.  When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her.  Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns.  Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved.  Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?"  Beverly said, "Why yes I do."  Edith said, "Well, what do you ...