Terri's BlogChristian perspective on today's issues.

Returning to September Twelfth

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalm 46:1

 

At 8:45 am on a clear Tuesday morning, an American Airlines Boeing 767 loaded with 20,000 gallons of jet fuel crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center. At 9:03 am., United Airlines Flight 175 rammed the south tower. The destruction would ricochet through history and lead us into war.

September 11, 2001, is a date branded into the memories of Americans and citizens around the globe. Ask nearly anyone and they can tell you where they were, what they were doing and who told them about the event that would change life as we knew it.

I have heartrending memories of that fateful time when I could do nothing but stare at the television screen that broadcast horrifying images of the decimated buildings in lower Manhattan, the Pentagon in flames and a field burning in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where a plane load of heroes had crashed. For days, I couldn’t stop crying. When that first tower collapsed, I felt a part of me rip away.

I don’t know a soul in New York City. Yet on that Tuesday, those people – husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, children – became my family, my friends. My heart shattered at the images of innocent souls – all 2,977 – who perished. That day brought home to me how easily those terrorists could have attacked anywhere, that anyone could have become a victim while they went about their daily business and worked to feed their families until terrorists acted on their own lethal agenda.

Heedless of the dangers, first responders – firefighters, police, emergency workers –answered the call to rush into the lion’s den. Then-mayor Rudy Giuliani described their heroism best. “When firefighters run into a burning building, they don’t stop to wonder whether the people inside are rich or poor, what race they are, or what religion they practice.

Their thoughts are focused solely on the individuals inside that need to be saved. Their actions represent the purest example of love for humanity.”

We woke up on September 12, 2001, with the stunning realization that the greatest country in the world had been brought to her knees. But not for long. In the aftermath of 9/11, we were once again one nation under God.

In those shell-shocked weeks that followed, people flocked to church. Young men and women answered duty’s call and signed up to serve in the military to be part of the teams that would seek justice for the massacre on 9/11 and protect our country against future attacks.

The stars and stripes were everywhere, waving in front of homes, businesses and from vehicle antennas. An image of the flag was even spray painted along highways. When sports season resumed and stadiums filled up, the National Anthem brought everyone to their feet as thousands of voices rang out in unison. The song “Proud to Be an American” became our mantra, our symbol of patriotism and solidarity. Billboards revealed the heart and character of our country: “Pray for our nation’s leaders”; “God bless America”.

That tragic Tuesday wasn’t a loss only for Americans. Victims from ninety nations were among those who died that day. Pain was the glue that pressed us together and to which people around the world responded. Poignantly, one young man in Maasai, Kenya tried to gift the US with fourteen sacred cows. He said, “To heal a sorrowing heart, give something that is dear to your own.” Those who responded to the catastrophe were of that same mindset.

September 12, 2001, became the day when healing began, the day that provided an avenue to help those reeling from their shockingly tragic losses. We became a kinder, gentler nation. Across our country, people dropped what they were doing, left behind jobs and families to head to the most densely populated city in the U.S. Construction workers and other skilled laborers showed up in their hard hats with their tools and shovels to aid in the search and rescue of those buried in The Pile, as the dangerous, smoldering wreckage in lower Manhattan becomes known.

America’s heart was to give. One eatery donated sandwiches to the police. Another restaurant owner fed workers instead of paying customers at Ground Zero. Many people wanted to help, even if it was just providing much-needed water. For days and around the clock, one lady handed out coffee to volunteers. Doctors and nurses came on site to treat those with work-related injuries. Veterinarians were there to check on the search-and-rescue dogs. There is a story about one lady who lost a loved one in those towers and who dealt with her grief by springing for drinks and snacks for soldiers doing their part. Kindness and generosity shone a light into the darkness of death and destruction. All these things, great and small, helped the many affected by September 11th realize that someone cared by the proof of their actions.

How easily we forget; twenty-two years later, we have long ago flipped the page and left behind the memories of those desperate times when we just couldn’t give enough, couldn’t love enough, couldn’t do enough for our country and its citizens.

America is again wounded, but not from terrorists outside the country, but is at war with itself. The evening news is crammed with the worst deeds of mankind; it takes a Google search to find anything positive. We have become unfeeling and jaded. It would be so easy to turn away, hibernate from the world or ask Jesus to take the wheel. But we are His people, His hands, His feet and He has equipped us to serve.

You don’t have to run into a burning building to save a life. There is a quote that reads: “In a world where you can be anything: be kind”. Every day, we are offered endless opportunities, all of them spelled L-O-V-E.

LISTEN: The lonely and the forgotten are hungry for someone who will just let them be heard. I am reminded of my own shortcoming in this area. Our oldest daughter once said, “Mama, I don’t need you to fix anything; I just need you to listen and let me vent.” Allow your elderly parent or grandparent to tell their stories even if you’re heard them over and over.

OBSERVE: I have a friend who is a prayer warrior. It doesn’t matter if she’s on a busy street, at the beach or in church, she is sensitive to those who need her to batter heaven on their behalf. The man who holds my heart stays alert for things that need his attention. When a nearby widow’s grass gets too high, without being asked, he mows it for her. When a neighbor is struggling to lift something heavy, he rushes to shares the load.

VOW: never to forget your promise to pray for someone who’s asked you. Post a note on the fridge, your bathroom mirror, the door you exit through each morning, inside your Bible, your wallet. Then intercede to the God Who has power over the oceans and mountains and is willing and able to work in each situation you bring before Him.

EVERYTHING: you do in His name brings glory to Him while you encourage and provide hope to those immersed in sorrow, pain and who are ready to give up. If you have the gift of humor, you can make someone’s day by giving that person a laugh – maybe for the first time in weeks. If your gift is baking, surprise someone who’s home bound with cookies or cake and stay for a visit. Consider the talents God has given you, then share them. “It’s the little things that count” did not become a cliché for nothing.

Oscar Wilde once said, “No good deed goes unpunished”. I say, “No good deed goes unseen by God.” He notices you meeting the needs of His people; any small effort may help an individual focus on something positive as they work through a personal crisis.

Pray that America isn’t once more brought to her knees and made to realize who we are in Him and our purpose for being. May Americans willingly bow their knees to the One and Only King, then: “If my people who are called by my name humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14

by Elaine Hall