It is hard to believe that it's already been 10 years since the the day that will always be known as 9/11. I remember waking up that Tuesday morning and listening to the very first report. The news reporter said they had reports of a plane that had just hit the World Trade Center and they were trying to get footage. My first thought was somebody in a Cessna or something was committing suicide and going to take out a few innocent victims in the process. As I continued to watch the news with my coffee I realized the horror of what was happening when I saw the second plane hit the other tower.
We were under attack. War against America had been waged on our home turf for the first time since Pearl Harbor. Our lives as Americans had been changed forever.
Many innocent people perished that horrific day. Many families would never again see on earth their loved ones again.
Then we saw something I had not witnessed in my life. Americans were becoming friendly to all of their neighbors. Racism was killed for a short time in America as a result of 9/11. The only thing that mattered during that period of history was you were American. Police officers, firefighters and members of the military were being thanked for the difficult and dangerous jobs they dedicated their lives for. Americans were finally pulling their heads out of the sand and living in a way that was pleasing to Christ.
People that had never been in a church were now attending services to pray. People that had not been to church in years for what ever reason were heading to a church service. People that had never believed in God were now really questioning His existence. Oh how God must have been pleased by how we sinful Americans were rallying together and building each other, fellow Americans up.
My favorite memory of my own Dad came three or four days after that tragic day. We were at the first Mariners game after the season had resumed. Before the National Anthem was sung, we as Americans all stood and sang God Bless America. My Dad put his arm around me as we stood there singing together with tears rolling down our cheeks. (this was the 1st time since my Grandma's funeral that I saw my Dad cry, the 2nd time in my life) There was not a dry eye at Safeco Field that night.
We later discovered that this scene played out at every baseball stadium in America that evening.
How pleased God must have been that as a nation we were finally recognizing his Holiness. In a country that was built up as "One Nation Under God" we had been failing God terribly. We had become so politically correct that we ignored the commands given by God. We had become a nation that not just accepted homosexuality but put it on a pedestal. We had become a nation where not only made it legal for women to kill babies in abortion clinics but we paid for many of those abortions with tax dollars. "One Nation Under God" we were not anymore.
So when 9/11 happened I am fairly certain of a couple things. God was hurt by those terror acts against His people. His lambs that He created that were slaughtered that day. I am also certain He was proud that we became, even for a short time, "One Nation Under God."
God had to have loved hearing all those voices across this country singing God Bless America in ballparks, churches and homes. He had to hate what it took to bring that loving side of Americans to the surface.
This Thursday night at church we studied the book of Joel. Joel was a prophet that told of the great famine that was coming as a result of Locust. It was God punishing the people for being disobedient. Joel prophesied about How God would forgive and return everything back to it's original state when the people finally repented.
I wonder today with the tenth anniversary of 9/11 and all the hurricanes, earthquakes, tornado's, tsunamis, fires and floods if some of these things are not God showing His righteous anger with us again. I am not saying that God is responsible for 9/11 happening as I believe it was the act of Satan but maybe it's time this world stops fighting and tearing down the Kingdom of God and start loving and living as God has taught us through His Holy Scriptures. I have a feeling if we don't repent soon it will get much worse until we do. What I mean is that if we don't become better people living to please God, Satan will continue to create terrorism and destroy innocent lives. As a result maybe God will use His Holy power as He did in the Old Testament to get our attention.
How about you? Will you be ready for your judgement if you get brought to God as a result of a tragedy? Or will you say Father thank you for bringing me Home from that sinful and broken world?
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