I'm really having a tough time putting my thoughts into words this evening.
The silence of my thoughts today remind me of the silence that seemed so deafening ten years ago.
On our way to church this morning, an airplane flew over the highway, and I thought about how silent the skies were in the days that followed September 11, 2001.
I had never noticed that the planes were even there...
until they weren't.
Carrie and William were almost the same ages that Josh and Matthew are now.
I remember how silent Carrie and William were.
They played silently. They watched television silently.
They watched our faces silently.
As we drove to church, the kids and I talked of how we were doing that very thing ten years ago...driving to church.
On Tuesday, September 11, we were driving to church for the first MOPS meeting of the year.
I had been so busy getting things ready for the meeting that I hadn't turned on the television at home.
I found out what had happened the minute I walked into the doors of the church and was greeted by the church secretary.
That morning, mothers held the hands of their young children...and were silent.
The big kids went on into the church
to prepare for morning worship.
I sat in the truck with the little boys, listening to the live coverage from New York City...
waiting for the moment of silence that would come at
8:46 AM...the time that the first plane hit the north tower.
Josh asked, "What is this all about?"
Racing thoughts...but silence.
How do you explain in one sentence what you will never be able to make sense of?
Below are a couple of post 9/11 faces.
They don't know a different world.
Their world is a world of hope...a world with a future.
A promise to them--and to us--that echoes true in Scripture.
Ten years later, as we walk into the church,
there are no surprises.
I look at each of these faces and think about where they were ten years before...not just physically...but where they were in their life journeys.
This morning, our church service opened with a memorial video of that day.
I was caught off-guard by my emotions as I watched the planes hit the towers.
And the silent, desperate acts of those
who jumped from the buildings.
As I watched that video, it seemed to scream, "Silence!" as time stood still.
Even the planes hitting the towers seemed so silent.
Does that make any sense?
Our church sanctuary itself hasn't changed much.
In fact, I sat right up there to the left, just a couple rows back, later in the week when we met for prayer.
And silence.
This young lady was five years old...just starting kindergarten.
Ten years later Carrie is taking an active role on our worship team...and this morning sings "I Am Free!"
She was born into a world without September 11, but she doesn't remember it.
Have you ever noticed how silently our flag waves, all the while declaring in no uncertain terms...FREEDOM!
Grandma, Grandpa, and GG came over this evening to celebrate Grandparent's Day.
We sat outside together, watching the kids play...and remembering.
Judy reminded me of the day, several weeks after September 11, that we went downtown with Carrie and William.
She asked, "Do you remember how scared William was when he looked up and saw the tall buildings."
I had forgotten.
What else have I forgotten in my day-to-day busyness?
The clouds this evening were glorious.
Glorious in their silence.
God shouts to me from the Heavens.
"I love you. I remember you."
| "You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in Your bottle. You have recorded each one in Your book." |
Remembering September 11...and God's promises,
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