I suppose one could call me the family historian. From 2000-2002 I wrote a family journal highlighting the weekly happenings in our every day lives, listing individuals in need of prayer, and recording truths from God's Word we would share together around the table during our morning family worship.
With the anniversary of 9/11 just around the corner, I wanted to find what I journaled the week the tragedy unfolded. For most of us we'll never forget where we were and what we were doing when news of the atrocities penetrated our lives. The scenes that flashed before my eyes are ones etched in my memory forever. The nightmares and sleepless nights that followed are ones I don't wish for again. And the deep grief and sorrow over the thousands of lives lost in a matter of minutes I pray is something our nation will not have to endure a second time.
But what did I write that week? To this day I still remember wrestling through writing that entry, trying to relate through pen and ink the emotions we felt and yet at the same time capture in a brief statement what God was teaching us through this national tragedy. I pulled out the journal tonight and here is what I read:
Tuesday dawned with no thought of the imminent tragedies that were going to devastate the entire nation and bring grief to many families across America. However, the remote possibility that current circumstances could drastically change within minutes became a reality as we watched with our own eyes the World Trade Towers collapse and a portion of the Pentagon burn to ashes, killing thousands of people. The idea that terrorists would use commercial airplanes as "bombs" to destroy the financial and military institutions of America was unthinkable. But it happened. Through our shock and tears, we had to once more recognize and believe the sovereignty of God over world affairs...Our peace and security must come from the Lord and not the apparent success of a nation...Our prayer now is that God will bring justice on behalf of this country. But most importantly, we ask him to draw our nation back to him and his Word.
I know that millions of Americans across the country are walking down memory lane as we approach this sober anniversary. I wish that the horrific events of that day had never happened, and everything inside of me wants to erase what I saw and felt.
But even as I want to forget, I also want to remember that prayer recorded fifteen years ago:
Our prayer now is that God will bring justice on behalf of this country. But most importantly, we ask him to draw our nation back to him and his Word.
In some ways a lot has changed since that day, but in other ways it has not.
9/11: We will not forget
9/11: We will not cease to pray for our country
