I remember exactly where I was on September 11, 2001. I was at Benjamin Franklin Middle School and
heading to my second period Civics class.
After the bell rang, my teacher came to the front of the class. Instantly, I could tell something was
wrong. She did her best to hold back the
tears. She informed us that the world
trade centers were attacked by terrorists.
At the time, I didn’t know what the world trade centers were, but by the
end of day I definitely did.
My teacher escorted us all to the auditorium to watch the
news for the rest of the day. I could
not believe what I was viewing on national TV.
If it was a normal school day, I would have given anything to skip
classes for the day and watch the news, but, on that day, I would have given
anything to just have had a normal day of school.
That day I was reminded of the brevity of life and how we
take so many things for granted. Today,
we honor the people’s lives who were tragically taken and the people’s lives
who were sacrificially given. Today, we
honor the families who lost their loved ones.
Today, we honor the ones who are still suffering from the tragic events
of 9/11.
Surely, I don’t know why God would allow such an event to take place; however, I do know that God is still God in the midst of tragedy. God has a purpose for our pain. God has a plan for our problems. Isaiah 55:8-9 says God’s ways are higher than our ways and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. God is sovereign when we are on top of the mountains of life and in the valleys of life. God can use our problems to accomplish His sovereign plan.
As I reflect upon 9/11, I cannot help but think of the day when the plane of the gospel of Jesus Christ collided with my soul. I was lost. I was a sinner. I needed a Savior. I realized I was destined for eternity separated from God. I saw my need for God’s love, grace, mercy, forgiveness and salvation. I say that to say this: Jesus is our only hope in the midst of tragedy and for all eternity.
No, I will never forget the events of 9/11 and how that one day impacted so many. I will also never forget the day when Jesus carried His cross on Via Dolorosa to pay for the penalty of our sins. Just as many men and women sacrificed their lives’ on 9/11 to help save others, Jesus sacrificed His life on the cross so we could spend eternity with Him in heaven. #NeverForget