9.11

It's 9.11
I remember a great many things. When asked on Facebook, where I was...
I was weeding, out back of the house. My wife, Mick, came out & said: "you need to come inside & see this, you won't believe it". "what's going on?" I asked. "Someone flew a plane into the World Trade Center". It never occurred to me to even think it was on purpose. As I sat there & just stared... waiting to hear some announcer tell me this was a new movie coming out... I just couldn't believe that as I watched the smoke rise it just kept saying "live" in the corner of the screen. Then, I saw the other plane fly in... & make contact. Then watching in horror as the towers fell. Then, of course, there are the "why would someone do this?" Know what, I don't ever want to understand why someone would just kill people because they are in a populated area. Major building, mall, church, school, movie theater... to "go after" someone who hurt you I get, not the best idea anyway -but at least I get that. I don't get this. I'm thankful for those who rushed in to help.
It was hard to visit New York City. Even though it was years later. When you go to ground zero, the city whispers... & the whispering itself hurts. There is a reverent quiet there. The people seem to become...gentler.
On the late news the evening of 9.11, I saw a woman who was wondering away from the cloud of ash. She just said, mournfully, "where is God?" Somehow I knee jerkedly thought, "Honey, your the one who just got here. God's been here, in this day, for centuries. And, at least you get to leave this day. Since God is everywhere He never leaves...He is still in every single day." We teach children that God is everywhere. Tibet, Hong Kong, L.A.,... That's half right. God is everywhere. Which also means that He is...standing on a ship that He "can't sink" looking at an ice burg headed straight for them. While He's standing near what would have seemed weird to us then, as a pair of brothers finally did what birds do, fly. Standing in Auschwitz... Still standing, in a building...looking out a window, at a plane that is headed straight for him. at the very same time, standing a few years later, in a room watching as quiet men in dark combat B.D.U.'s sneak in & kill the man responsible. Allowing a helicopter to be the only other casualty of the event.
I'm sorry it took this to bring out the "family" in this country. Once the events of 9.11 happened. We seemed to close ranks.
I'm glad we seem to be more able to appreciate/be aware of our military.
Yet even as I write this, & think of those I know who have served &/or are serving our country. I cannot help but think... I want more than a salute to them, a thank you & a free meal once in a while. If these folks, so many of whom I'll never know, are gonna risk their life for me... I want to live, in such a way as to at least make it seem worth it.
Which brings me back to God... to Jesus. If he went through all that... I'd at least like him to think that it was worth it, that it wasn't a waste.
One of my favorite Bible verses is in Revelations...
^21-27 The main street of the City was pure gold, translucent as glass. But there was no sign of a Temple, for the Lord God—the Sovereign-Strong—and the Lamb are the Temple. The City doesn’t need sun or moon for light. God’s Glory is its light, the Lamb its lamp! The nations will walk in its light and earth’s kings bring in their splendor. Its gates will never be shut by day, and there won’t be any night.

22
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb ² down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations.
As I read that last line in Rev. 22:2 I just keep thinking... that tree... must really have an awful lot of leaves... sadly, we'll need every one.

I'd like to say more... usually there seems to be an ocean of words.... I think I just ran aground. 

May His grace drip from your fingers,
B