9-11, 8 years later -
It still shocks me.
I was 13, and like everyone else in this nation who was old enough to remember, I know exactly where I was when I heard. We listened to the radio and had no idea of what on earth they meant by it. We got home, made calls and listened to more radio. We were quiet, we asked questions that didn't have answers, and we prayed. We forgot we had things to do, we sat around in the kitchen and we tried to think. I remember sitting in the kitchen for a couple hours, just hearing news come in, and news go out, and all the phone calls. It was like no other day I can remember.
And I didn't know then how much I would come to hate why that was.
And why I fell more in love with America and the people who loved her.
I'm not going to write captions for all of these, it'll be a silent scroll through. I think they remind us of what we felt that day, what still burns inside our hearts is pride for our country, and everyone who served and saved and fought on that day, selflessly. I'm proud of them. Are you?
Like the POW flag reminds us, that waves beneath our flag, "You are not forgotten.".
She waves with pride.
"Old Glory" who and what she is. How apt a description for September 11th, "I have inspired generations of gallant men who fought against tyranny." (click on the pic to blow it up & read it)
"My home is in the hearts of all who feel a thrill of pride when they salute me and what I symbolize - God, Country, Freedom, Valor."
It just seemed memorable to include pictures of flowers -
Scattered flowers ... like all the tears we cried after September 11th, and 12th, and all the way to September 11th, 2009.
My Country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountain-side let freedom ring! Our fathers' God to Thee, Author of liberty, to Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright, with freedom's holy light; protect us by Thy might, Great God our King!
September 11th, 2001 - September 11th, 2009
John Piper's sermons and articles on 9-11, related resources as well.
How sweet it is to know that our hope and our trust lies only in Christ Jesus, and that no matter the swelling tide, the whelming flood, the darkest night, the most awful or dangerous day - our Lord doeth all things well, and He is sovereign and in control of every day, from the day that "days" started, to the day when this world will be no more, HE has overcome the world.
Trusting, and remembering ...
~ Jean Marie
Psalm 103
I was 13, and like everyone else in this nation who was old enough to remember, I know exactly where I was when I heard. We listened to the radio and had no idea of what on earth they meant by it. We got home, made calls and listened to more radio. We were quiet, we asked questions that didn't have answers, and we prayed. We forgot we had things to do, we sat around in the kitchen and we tried to think. I remember sitting in the kitchen for a couple hours, just hearing news come in, and news go out, and all the phone calls. It was like no other day I can remember.
And I didn't know then how much I would come to hate why that was.
And why I fell more in love with America and the people who loved her.
I'm not going to write captions for all of these, it'll be a silent scroll through. I think they remind us of what we felt that day, what still burns inside our hearts is pride for our country, and everyone who served and saved and fought on that day, selflessly. I'm proud of them. Are you?
Like the POW flag reminds us, that waves beneath our flag, "You are not forgotten.".
She waves with pride.
"Old Glory" who and what she is. How apt a description for September 11th, "I have inspired generations of gallant men who fought against tyranny." (click on the pic to blow it up & read it)
"My home is in the hearts of all who feel a thrill of pride when they salute me and what I symbolize - God, Country, Freedom, Valor."
It just seemed memorable to include pictures of flowers -
Scattered flowers ... like all the tears we cried after September 11th, and 12th, and all the way to September 11th, 2009.
My Country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountain-side let freedom ring! Our fathers' God to Thee, Author of liberty, to Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright, with freedom's holy light; protect us by Thy might, Great God our King!
September 11th, 2001 - September 11th, 2009John Piper's sermons and articles on 9-11, related resources as well.
"The other reason I don't say, "God did not cause the calamity, but he can use it for good," is that it undercuts the very hope it wants to create. I ask those who say this: "If you deny that God could have 'used' a million prior events to save 5,000 people from this great evil, what hope then do you have that God could now 'use' this terrible event to save you in the hour of trial?" We say we believe he can use these events for good, but we deny that he could use the events of the past to hold back the evil of September 11. But the Bible teaches he could have restrained this evil (Genesis 20:6). "The LORD nullifies the counsel of the nations; He frustrates the plans of the peoples" (Psalm 33:10). But it was not in his plan to do it. Let us beware. We spare God the burden of his sovereignty and lose our only hope."Famines, pestilence, persecution, these happen so that the world would see that the followers of Jesus, count Christ more precious than everything they've lost, and (the world can) discover that He can be that for them, because one day they are going to lose everything. Everybody loses everything on earth, someday." - John Piper
All of us are sinners. We deserve to perish. Every breath we take is an undeserved gift. We have one great hope: that Jesus Christ died to obtain pardon and righteousness for us (Ephesians 1:7; 2 Corinthians 5:21), and that God will employ his all-conquering, sovereign grace to preserve us for our inheritance (Jeremiah 32:40). We surrender this hope if we sacrifice this sovereignty." (excerpt taken from DG website, by John Piper)
How sweet it is to know that our hope and our trust lies only in Christ Jesus, and that no matter the swelling tide, the whelming flood, the darkest night, the most awful or dangerous day - our Lord doeth all things well, and He is sovereign and in control of every day, from the day that "days" started, to the day when this world will be no more, HE has overcome the world.
Trusting, and remembering ...
~ Jean Marie
Psalm 103
I remember that day very well and the images are forever engraved on my mind.
ReplyDeleteThis is such an honorable and God glorifying post, there is no doubt God had a purpose in the Attacks of 9-11.
I pray that we never forget those who died in the towers or those who are fighting overseas.
Thank you Jean Marie for posting this beautiful remembrance post.
Joel
I too remember that day well. I was only 9...
ReplyDeleteMy Uncle was actually walking out of the building when the first one hit, he made it to his office some blocks down the street just before the second one hit. It was scary for our family (especially my Aunt) not hearing from him for quite some time with the phones down and all. But oh the blessing of having a sovreign Lord whom we can trust in!!
Loved this post Jean. I haven't forgotten that day, but I don't think about it as often as you'd think an American would. :(
♥E
Thank you, Jean!!
ReplyDelete