We Will Never Forget

"Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass..." Isaiah 46:10

On September 10, 2001, New York City's beautiful skyline looked like this:

The next morning, this shocked the entire world when it happened:

And before the end of the day, that area that used to be the World Trade Center had now been renamed Ground Zero. It looked like this:


The ten year anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in U.S. history is today. I know that you will think of this as a very distant thing, that you didn't know anyone affected or even see the remnants of the damage. By the time you are old enough to visit NYC, you will probably see a very nice monument or visitor's center, probably covered with flowers and photos that seem out of place.

But when this happened, I was a college student confused about what the impact would be. I had friends that were sure we were going to war (we did) and that they would be drafted into the military (they weren't) and never finish school. I saw the news coverage from our campus center where students gathered and prayed in silence. We asked if anyone had a loved one there in NY, and thankfully no one that I knew did. Classes were cancelled. People left work and stayed home with their families. We all wondered if it would keep happening or if smaller cities would be the next targets. We thought about all the people that were starting off a day like any other, and out of nowhere, their whole world went up in flames and crashed into dust.

I don't write this to you to sound morbid or depressing, but we must continue to honor those that lost their lives that day. Not just the ordinary citizens, but the heroic firefighters who ran into a deadly situation with courage. The police and security workers that tried to lead people out calmly and never got the chance.

The outpouring of prayers and cries to God that day have probably never been matched in this country. I hope that we will consider that our greatest gift to the families still mourning, those who still battle nightmares and depression and emptiness from what they experienced that day. May God bless them and give them comfort. And may we always remember to be thankful, to say I love you, and to make each day one that we can look back on and feel satisfied.

"When they call on me, I will answer. I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation." Psalm 91:15-16

The New Ground Zero Monument