September 11th, Ten Years Later

My Story:  On September 11, 2001, I was a senior at CHA.  I remember I was sitting in Mr. Clay's "Senior Hour" Bible Class when the news first began to spread... everyone thought there had been a terrible accident when a plane crashed into the first tower - several different versions of the story were floating around, and I assumed it was mainly exaggeration.  My third hour was spent as an office aide for Mrs. Young, so when I got there, we watched some of the news coverage together.  (By that time, the second plane had hit, and it was clear that it was no accident!)  

I remember watching the news coverage and getting chills thinking about it.  I also remember - because it happened that day - that Mark Richards, one of my favorite guys from Rachael's class, came into the office because he had just been punched in the face by a foreign exchange student who misunderstood his comment!!  (Quite the drama for CHA, and on any other day, would've been a huge deal and all anyone was talking about!)  Anyway, when Rach and I got home from school that day, we watched the news with Mom.  We watched as the Twin Towers collapsed, we watched as those who hate our nation celebrated - CELEBRATED, and we watched President Bush's speech. 

This is what I remember about that day ten years ago...

Innocent people died, families were changed forever, strong buildings were brought down to rubble... 

Ordinary people became heroes; the lines of good and evil, love and hate became far more clear.

The following picture was taken on my trip to NYC with Josh and Holly in 2006...

And the next three were during my trip to NY last December when Chet and I went by Ground Zero.

I have calligraphied the quote several times:  "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is that good men do nothing."  (-Edmund Burke)

It's true, and it could just as easily be phrased "that Christians do nothing."  Christian passivity and casual, apathetic living has allowed our nation to morally spiral downhill through the years.  God has said that if HIS PEOPLE will humble themselves and pray and seek His face, then He will hear us and heal our land!  We should remember the families who are hurting, yes, but we should also remember that there is evil in our world... the enemy (Satan) works to deceive people and use them for evil, which can be powerful and destructive, and the above pictures should be a clear reminder of that.  

As God's children, we are called to be the light!  Love and truth are more powerful than evil... greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world!  If God is for us, who can stand against us?  Well, God will be FOR US when we (Christians) turn away from sin and seek Him above all... and we must never forget that!