Wednesday; September 11

Where were you twenty-three years ago?  I was standing in the entryway of the High School in Pierre, South Dakota (where I was the School Resource Officer) when I heard about and then saw the events of 9/11/01 unfold in front of me.  As I stood there and watched – then as I prepared myself to protect my students and my community from an unknown future – there was a flood of emotions … from anxiety to anger to confusion.  I didn’t know then what I know now, but one thing I figured out quickly was that things were about to change! 

Through the years I have never gone back and watched the history or the remembrances of that day; but I have thought a lot about the impact the events in Boston, New York, Washington D.C. and western Pennsylvania have had – on our nation and on me personally.  As I reflect on that day, one thought seems to rise to the top – you never know what tomorrow will bring.  Thousands of people’s lives changed in a New York minute (to quote the “Eagles”).  I guess events like this are stark reminders of this truth, but we should all know this by now.  It has been a certainty well established in life and taught in the Scriptures.  James reminded the early Christians, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. For you are just a vapor that appears for a little while, and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14). 

For those of us who remember 9/11, let’s take a least a moment to think about the certainty of an uncertain future.  Are we ready for the unknown?  We may not be able to plan for it, but we must be prepared for it. 

Think About It!

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