10 Years

So, I'm a little late.  I missed the ten-year anniversary of September 11th by a day or two.  I apologize.  But, nonetheless, it has been ten years since the insanity that took place in New York City, the Pentagon, and on Flight 93 that crashed into a field in Shanksville, PA.  Can you believe it's been ten years?  It's hard for me to believe that!

I remember when it all happened.  I was in college.  (I can't believe ten years ago I was in college!)  I was in the beginning of my junior year.  I was just going to an art class when someone started telling me about what happened.  I looked a little bit at a television someone had set up so we could follow the news.  I'll be honest with you, I really wasn't sure what the World Trade Center buildings were.  I knew they were two really tall buildings, but I wasn't very familiar at all with them.  At that point, only one plane had hit the buildings.  I went to class, and nonchalantly told a class mate about it.  "Did you hear about NYC?  One of the trade centers had a plane hit it!"  The guy was like, "What!?!?" and sprinted out to hear about the coverage of the story.  I later learned he was from New York City.  Long story short, the rest of the day at college ended up being watching TV's during class, and in between class all about what was going on.  We had a special prayer service about the whole thing.  And then were the moments at home (I was commuting).  As soon as I'd get home from school, I'd sit down on the couch, glued to the previously powered up television set.  Dan Rather talked to our living room a lot in those days.  I kept watching.  I couldn't stop.  I was shocked at everything I'd hear.  In the days after the attack, rescuers continued searching for bodies... and mostly only found body parts.  How sad.  How historic.  How horrible.  How insane!  Where were you that day?  What were you doing?

So, ten years have passed, and what has happened since then with our country?  (Life truly was different on September 10th, 2001)  We've been in wars, we've built up different defense systems, etc. etc.  Sadam Hussein and Osama Bin Laden have been killed.  Many lives have been lost.  All of this has been the United States' attempt at revenge, and also an attempt to be proactive in keeping our country safe from any further attacks on our nation.  I'm not promoting the killing of life... I'm just pointing out that our nation has truly changed in ten years.  Not only does the government have different ideas, but the people of the country think differently - Life kind of seemed different before September 11th, 2001.  Last Friday night, I watched a special all about that day... It was sad... and it reminded me that there were a lot of people that died that day, in some very sad ways.  

Paul said in Romans 12:1-3... "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.  Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will."  When I think about 9/11 and how we as a nation, as a people will never be the same, I think about our walk with God as believers in Christ.  Are we living different in this world than anyone else?  Are we making choices that reflect a life dependent on Christ for salvation, repentant of sin?  Is the music we listen to, the television we watch, the things we do when no one's looking transformed because of the sacrifice made for us?  As believers in Christ, our minds should be transformed... Our thoughts should be renewed.  Just as September 11th caused people to think different about the world around them, Christ's death on the cross (and our belief in it) shall create a life change in us that is permanent.  Not because it's "good to do."  Because a real God, came to a real earth.  He lived as a real man, living the only perfect life, yet died a real death so that the death we deserve, we do not have to experience.  If this doesn't cause us to live differently, nothing will.

Think about what Christ has done.  Think about where you were (physically, mentally) when you learned about this.  How have you changed since that day?  Live differently.  Live in the knowledge that He bled for you.  For YOU!  Praise the Lord!

Posted by Ben ><>