Five Years Ago

Five years ago today I was zipping up my suitcase and heading out the door to fly home on a 10 a.m. United flight. As I scooped up baby Mackenzie to bring her home after my uncle's funeral, my phone started ringing non-stop. Everyone was begging me not to go anywhere.

The friend of the family I was staying with came upstairs and told me to come to the den with him. There in front of the television I watched in disbelief as the second plane flew into the World Trade Center.

I stayed at my uncle's for nearly a week before getting on the first plane back home. Of course the airport was a mess and getting on the flight a fiasco. As I ran to the plane, the last one on with Mackenzie in my arms, I didn't have time to think. Once I strapped us in my body began to shake. What if it wasn't safe? What if after all of this, our plane goes down?

Then, it occurred to me. I have faith in a God who is bigger than all of this and the simple fact was that if He felt it was time for me to go, I was going to go no matter what the time or circumstances were.

As I reflected after the events, I began to see the good. Suddenly, an almost godless nation was on its knees in prayer. Polar opposites were standing side by side, hand in hand as brothers. Ordinary people rose from the ashes as true heroes. An otherwise seemingly apathetic country was flying its flag from every nook and cranny.

How dare I ask God what we did to deserve this. Shouldn't I be asking instead what I did to deserve to live in a country like ours? Today I am still in awe of how God protected Mackenzie and me.

We are indeed a blessed country. God has given us much more than we could ever, ever deserve. For all that went wrong, we have been saved and protected from so much else.

Thank you Jesus for our freedom. Thank you for our faith. Thank you for your loving hand of protection.

May we never forget the lessons we learned from that day. May we always see each other as brothers and sisters in You. May we learn to do justice, love mercy and walk humbly with our God. Amen.