11 Years Later

    So 11 years later and I still see everything in my head like I saw it that day. September 11th, 2001 was a day that changed my life and the lives of everyone I knew. I was a high school senior, and I'll never forget sitting in my 2nd period English class waiting for class to start when one of the girls came running in to tell us to turn on the TV because the stock market crashed. I remember several of us making stupid comments about how that would never happen but she was adamant that something bad had happened. We turned on the TV and saw CNN's coverage of one of the World Trade Center's building on fire. CNN was reporting that a plane had crashed into the building but they weren't sure what kind of plane, if it was an accident or what really happened. We all watched but not really sure about what was going on. We poked a little more fun at the girl who had innocently repeated what she had heard someone else say about the stock market crashing. We listened for a few more moments as details began to emerge and then we saw an image that I'll never forget. We saw the 2nd plane fly into the 2nd tower. Right there on live t.v. I witnessed the murder of hundreds of people.
    It was then we all realized that this was no accident but that this was a terrorist attack, at that moment we were at war. I remember our principle Joe Payne coming on the intercom and telling everyone who may not have seen it what happened. We tried to go on with class but we kept the t.v. turned on and nobody really paid attention to anything but the t.v. 
    Once 2nd period was over we went to our next class. Mr. Payne had again come on the intercom and encouraged everyone to resume classes as normal. My next class however was journalism and we all realized that what was happening in our country was major news so our class was able to convince our teacher that it would o.k. for us to watch the news and so we watched. We all stood around the t.v. watching and trying to figure out why this was happening and what would happen next. I remember hearing an odd sound on the t.v. There were lots of noises in the background of the news but there this one noise that just sounded different than all the rest. There was a shot of someone in one of the towers who felt like they had no other choice but to jump and that's when I realized that noise I kept hearing was the sound of people falling to their death. I'll never forget that sound.
    11 years later and whenever I think about that day I hear that sound. A few months later I was able to visit NYC and was able to get within several blocks of what would become ground zero. There was a smell that was unmistakeably the smell of flesh that had burned. 11 years later when I think of that day that smell floods my nostrils.
    I could keep writing what I remember but for the sake of the length of this post I'll just say that like everyone else who witnessed and experienced that day I remember. Rick Englehardt, a friend of mine, said on Facebook today "I see so many posts of "Never Forget", but honestly, how could we ever forget? The terror and tragedy of 9/11/01 forever changed us. Those of us who witnessed the events live and then watched stunned during the events to follow can NEVER forget." I think that summarizes very well my feelings, I'll never forget because I can't forget. George W. Bush said, "that one day 9/11 will be a day on the calendar like Pearl Harbor is but for those who lived through it we'll never forget."
    But I also remember a country that came together for the common good of it's citizens. Who mourned with neighbors the loss of life, who stood proud side by side with those they didn't know with the only commonality being they were Americans. I remember all the Wal-Mart's being sold out of American flags. I remember men and women who selflessly gave of themselves to serve their fellow man. I am proud of those memories and 11 years later I cannot think of that day without also thinking of those things as well.
    One of the last things I remember is seeing the President give an impromptu speech at ground zero, I'll never forget what he said. He told the workers who were digging through rubble and the American people who were watching, "I hear you, and the whole world hears you and soon the people responsible for this will hear us." 
    It's events like 9/11 that remind me with great evidence that we live in a fallen world and that there truly is evil in this world, it's event's like 9/11 that remind me Satan is very real and has a very real presence in this world. But it also reminds me that Christ hears us, he hears us when we hurt, when we mourn, and when we are in need. He always hears us and there is a world full of people who need to hear about Him, and that those who oppose Christ will one day hear Him as well. So with all the remembering that I do on this day it reminds me that I need to be very intentional in my witness for Jesus. It reminds me that people die everyday not ready to meet there maker because they've not heard the good news of Jesus. So if I can offer any advice today it would be this: be intentional.