20-Year Thoughts on 9/11

 Hello readers. On this 20th anniversary of 9/11 our TV’s and social media have a plethora of photography, recollections, reflections, first-hand accounts and 20 years of still identifying by DNA every person who perished at the twin towers. All the major stations have interviews with survivors, families of those who didn’t survive, and even a sit-down interview with the kids that President Bush was talking to when his security guard whispered the awful news in the president’s ear!

 

This is one of those days that indeed went “down in infamy” and we are right to never forget. However, we are not right to hang on to the anger from those attacks at the towers, the Pentagon, and in a Pennsylvania field. That’s the hard part, isn’t it? We’ve fulfilled our promise to get Bin Laden, we have his “ring leaders” some still alive, some not. Yet for so many it isn’t enough. I had a friend of mine say “we should just wipe out the entire Middle East and be done with it” and he meant it with all his heart. The hatred and anger was on his face and in his words.

We’re not milk-toast—going forward as if this never happened, but neither are we to play God! In fact God tells us vengeance belongs to him alone…here are those Scriptures:

Deuteronomy 32:35 NLT says: “I will take revenge; I will pay them back. In due time their feet will slip. Their day of disaster will arrive and their destiny will overtake them.’

Romans 12:17-19 NLT says: “Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone. Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God.”

Sometimes I don’t like those verses. I want to settle the score, but if there is one thing we’ve learned in these 20 years of 9/11 and now from Afghanistan, is that we think differently in America, and we are not able to undo their holy wars, jihadist evil, and culture. Would they not say the same for us if they tried to get in the middle of our democracy and tear it apart?

So, what do we do on this solemn day, then? I know what I’m going to do when I wake up at 6am on Saturday—first my prayers, second my praise and gratitude for God’s blessings, and third, be gracious to those I meet this day, knowing that tragedy touches us all.

If we walk the history trail of 9/11 to now we see tragedy abounds everywhere, from wars to hurricanes, constant shootings in schools-malls-homes-cities, and a pandemic that acts like the plane flying into a building, breaking apart all that is precious in health and families.

We’re broken, America is broken…the world is broken and only God can piece this all back together as one of the survivors of 9/11 said in a recent interview I listened to.

We “got back to God” after 9/11 but sadly, it didn’t last. We lapsed right back into our selfish ways, thoughts, and actions. Sometimes I think the heavy rains are God’s tears for his wayward children.

I want to end these thoughts with two things: 1) A new song from Danny Gokey, “Tell Your Heart to Beat Again” – lyrics and link below; and 2) an invite to my Google drive for 2 videos on 9/11. One video is from the 10th anniversary that I put together, and the other is a new release from The Skit Guys which says it all in beautiful grace and truth.

Look closely at the picture I’ve put in this devotion … the words are from the wife of Jason Dahl, the pilot of Flight 93. Her words are what we need to remember and live by!

 

Today may our prayers be lifted up as incense
to the Lord.
May our hearts who ache for all these tragedies
be once again healed and emboldened
to live for Christ every second of every day
that God gives us on this planet, AMEN!

Your link to my drive is: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1kPRJcxecKwG7iW4aF-LQZCzn0wGqqJo8

 

 

Tell Your Heart to Beat Again     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUHRDCYnFfg
You’re shattered like you’ve never been before
The life you knew in a thousand pieces on the floor
And words fall short in times like these
When this world drives you to your knees
You think you’re never gonna’ get back to the you that used to be
[Chorus] Tell your heart to beat again close your eyes and breathe it in
Let the shadows fall away step into the light of grace
Yesterday’s a closing door you don’t live there anymore
Say goodbye to where you’ve been and tell your heart to beat again.
 [Vs-2] Beginning—just let that word wash over you
It’s alright now love’s healing hands have pulled you through
So get back up, take step one leave the darkness, feel the sun
‘Cause your story’s far from over and your journey’s just begun. [Chorus]
[Bridge] Let every heartbreak and every scar
Be a picture that reminds you who has carried you this far
‘Cause love sees farther than you ever could
In this moment heaven’s working everything for your good
[Chorus: Ending with]: Oh, so tell your heart to beat again.