Here in the DC area it was rather dark and rainy today (in more ways than one). Lots of talk about 9/11 today since it is the mark of five years since the towers, pentagon, and flight 93 were all attacked (and our country as a whole).
I, like everyone else was remembering what I was doing when the attack took place. Like any other day I arrived at work ready to tackle another day. At that time I was an educational interpreter at the middle school in the town I lived in. The student I interpreted for was in speech class and I had slipped out to run to the restroom. While walking down the hall I saw one of the substitute teachers that I knew well from working with her at the elementary school for several years. She came running down the hall announcing what had just happened. We were all a bit confused until the second plane hit and then things kept getting worse with more planes being hi-jacked. We were instructed NOT to tell the kids anything (with today's society, kids have family members scattered all over the world, not to know if any of the kids had family members in the towers or on the planes). Parents started coming to pick up their children and we ended up with about half the kids by the end of the day. The hard part was the next couple of weeks trying to answer questions that the kids had and try to comfort some of them that lost family members.
The most important thing that changed in my life after 9/11/2001 was that I promised I would not be silent anymore. I would live my life with love for all people and show them that Jesus loves them even more than I could. The inspiration for this was a true story that was told on a radio station sometime after 9/11. The story was about a Christian woman that was trying to convince her co-worker that she needed Jesus in her life. The co-worker stated that she was not ready to give up her worldly lifestyle. The Christian woman would walk by the co-workers office and say, "Let me know when you want to get on the bus." (meaning when she wanted to develop a personal relationship with Jesus). This was a common statement between the two woman for many days or even weeks. When the towers were hit, the women started their descent down the stairs to find out that they had been separated. Just as the Christian woman ran free from the building, one of the towers started to crumble. The woman ran to the nearest cover, which happened to be a bus. She climbed up in the bus and took cover only to hear someone crying in the bus. Guess who, none other than her co-worker friend. The co-worker asked the Christian woman if she could help her "get on the bus". Right there in the middle of pure chaos two co-workers were praying. One showing God's great love to the other. Sharing the incredible joy she holds in her heart with the other. The co-worker asked Jesus to forgive her and to start a new life with Him. She gave Him control. Coincidence, I don't think so.
Another thing that 9/11 reminds me of is that we are not promised tomorrow or even our next breath. So kiss your kids, your spouses, your parents (mom here comes some electronic xoxo, I love you) everyday before work. If you are not "on the bus" GET ON before it is too late (remember 9/11 was just another day). All those people went to work or got on a plane fully expecting to go home to their families at the end of the day. To the families that ended the day without a family member, you have been in my prayers this week.
To everyone reading this.....I love you lots. Didn't want to go to bed without letting you know that.
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