Where Were You?
I was in the 6th grade. Mr. Adams was taking my class over to the library to check out books. We walked in and the librarian had the news playing on TV. At first, I didn't really pay attention. Soon, the librarian and the other teachers were telling us all to be quiet. That's when I first noticed that something was wrong. All the eyes in the room were locked to the television; no one was moving or talking. Finally, I looked at the TV and I saw the images of the towers falling.
As a 6th grader, I didn't really understand a lot of the implications behind this terror attack. I knew it was horrible, and I felt compassion for the families that lost loved ones. I had never paid much attention to the American flag or the pledge of allegiance, but in the days to come, they both became very important symbols. The moment of silence was implemented in the mornings at school, which was another new thing. I had never thought much about the Middle East, but everyone was talking about it. All of a sudden, patriotic songs were popping up all over the radio. I began to get tired of seeing the same thing over and over on the news in the morning when I was getting ready for school. I was proud of my country, but I felt so distant from all that was happening. After all, I was in rural Oklahoma, and my daily life was not that affected.
In high school, I visited the OKC bombing memorial. This one hit much closer to home, and the exhibits really moved me. I felt a sense of kinship with my state through this tragedy that I was barely old enough to remember. I knew that the 9/11 attacks had been compared to the OKC bombing, so I began to get a grasp of what "terror" looked like.
The summer before my senior year of high school, I traveled to Washington, D.C. I got the opportunity to visit the Pentagon, and I actually visited the wing that was hit by one of the planes. That was the first time I thought about the victims as real people; people with lives, families, purposes. I understood the moment of silence for the first time because all I could do in that moment at the Pentagon was stand silently. I saw the displays of flags, flowers, quilts, cards, etc. that people from all across the country and the world had placed in remembrance of 9/11. Seeing these things made me realize that this wasn't something that only affected New Yorkers or people at the Pentagon, but it affected all Americans in one way or another.
Today is the 10th anniversary of the attacks. I'm sad to say that I haven't thought that much about it in the past few years. My generation is a generation used to hearing about "terrorism", so it's almost become routine. It's just become something that happened and it part of our story instead of something I truly reflected on. But today, I know that the attacks changed the way I look at my life as an American citizen. I am proud of my country. I am proud of the men and women who are fighting or have fought for our freedom, who have given up so much of their lives so I can enjoy mine.
Often, however, we forget God in all of this. We forget that He was there. We forget that He was faithful. We forget that he knew and loved each and every victim, each and every hero. We forget that he loved even the captors & "terrorists". We forget the way we came together and sought Him. We forget that He has a plan. We forget that He is good.
So instead of simply remembering and moving on, let's reflect on what God has done in and through us in the past decade, how He's blessed our country, and especially, what He wants to do in our country.
In our hearts, Lord, in this nation - awakening.
Holy Spirit, we desire awakening.
For You and You alone, awake my soul
awake my soul and sing.
For the world You love, Your will be done,
let Your will be done in me.
Link to Hillsong United's "Awakening"
As a 6th grader, I didn't really understand a lot of the implications behind this terror attack. I knew it was horrible, and I felt compassion for the families that lost loved ones. I had never paid much attention to the American flag or the pledge of allegiance, but in the days to come, they both became very important symbols. The moment of silence was implemented in the mornings at school, which was another new thing. I had never thought much about the Middle East, but everyone was talking about it. All of a sudden, patriotic songs were popping up all over the radio. I began to get tired of seeing the same thing over and over on the news in the morning when I was getting ready for school. I was proud of my country, but I felt so distant from all that was happening. After all, I was in rural Oklahoma, and my daily life was not that affected.
In high school, I visited the OKC bombing memorial. This one hit much closer to home, and the exhibits really moved me. I felt a sense of kinship with my state through this tragedy that I was barely old enough to remember. I knew that the 9/11 attacks had been compared to the OKC bombing, so I began to get a grasp of what "terror" looked like.
The summer before my senior year of high school, I traveled to Washington, D.C. I got the opportunity to visit the Pentagon, and I actually visited the wing that was hit by one of the planes. That was the first time I thought about the victims as real people; people with lives, families, purposes. I understood the moment of silence for the first time because all I could do in that moment at the Pentagon was stand silently. I saw the displays of flags, flowers, quilts, cards, etc. that people from all across the country and the world had placed in remembrance of 9/11. Seeing these things made me realize that this wasn't something that only affected New Yorkers or people at the Pentagon, but it affected all Americans in one way or another.
Today is the 10th anniversary of the attacks. I'm sad to say that I haven't thought that much about it in the past few years. My generation is a generation used to hearing about "terrorism", so it's almost become routine. It's just become something that happened and it part of our story instead of something I truly reflected on. But today, I know that the attacks changed the way I look at my life as an American citizen. I am proud of my country. I am proud of the men and women who are fighting or have fought for our freedom, who have given up so much of their lives so I can enjoy mine.
Often, however, we forget God in all of this. We forget that He was there. We forget that He was faithful. We forget that he knew and loved each and every victim, each and every hero. We forget that he loved even the captors & "terrorists". We forget the way we came together and sought Him. We forget that He has a plan. We forget that He is good.
So instead of simply remembering and moving on, let's reflect on what God has done in and through us in the past decade, how He's blessed our country, and especially, what He wants to do in our country.
In our hearts, Lord, in this nation - awakening.
Holy Spirit, we desire awakening.
For You and You alone, awake my soul
awake my soul and sing.
For the world You love, Your will be done,
let Your will be done in me.
Link to Hillsong United's "Awakening"
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