9/11: Remember Where You Were?

So it seems like a lot of people are recalling exactly where they were on 9/11 this weekend.  I suppose since Sunday is the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks on our nation, it's good to reflect.  Although I would rather reflect on how God has worked in my life over the last ten years.  Nevertheless, it is a point in time that I, too, will never forget.

I was working at IBM that day.  It was early that morning, and I was participating in a PC upgrade going on within my division.  I was breaking in (not literally!) my new laptop PC and was having some problems with it doing what I thought it should do.  So I wandered down the hall to one of the conference rooms where some PC support people were held up, helping people like me with their PC problems.

When I arrived at the conference room, there was already discussion about the first plane hitting the first tower in NYC.  I think we were all in a state of shock over the events that had just taken place.  I didn't get to stand still in shock for long.  My wife, Felicia, called me on my cell phone while I was standing in the conference room.  She was staying at home with our children at this time, a blessing from the Lord that I will always praise Him for. 

She asked if I knew what had happened in New York.  She was very upset and concerned about what this meant, and more importantly, what might happen next.  She pleaded with me to come home, and I agreed.  I took my new PC back to my office, locked everything up, and went straight home.  Our family watched along with the rest of the nation that day as the events in New York, Washington, DC, and Pennsylvania took place.

My prayer then was for God to provide, protect, and deliver us.  My prayer today is much the same.  But I also pray that God will remind us to cling to Him in the same ways we did on 9/11 and the days after that.  It seems that when things look desperate, we run to God.  But after a while, when the dust settles, we return to ourselves.  May we run to God again and not return to ourselves.  If we do, not only will our own lives be changed forever, so will our nation.

Pastor Randy