Time To Remember

Where were you 8 years ago today? What were you doing? Do you remember what your life was like before you heard the news? I remember where I was, who I was with, who told me and what followed. I was on the back deck of what was then the Crown Bookstore with my friend Melanie. We were going over stuff she was working on for a Biology class. A friend of ours came (who was known to be a chronic kidder) came around the corner and told us the Twin Towers had just been bombed. Of course, because of his reputation, we did not believe it and kept on with what we were doing. He told us we had to get to the main auditorium because we'd find out more there. Thinking we were going along with his joke we started over. It was a bit confusing becasue on the way we saw some very upset people and it was just wierd. Once in the auditorium they had Fox News playing on the big screen they used for presentations. That was the first time I'd ever seen Shepherd Smith (or Fox News for that matter). I know, that's a wierd memory but I have it. The footage they were showing was awful. I couldn't do anything but stare at the screen wondering what in the world was going on. Then they started showing people jumping from the building and falling from the windows. That was when the anchor, who himself was tearing up, told them to turn that off and stop showing it. I think that's when we all realized how bad this was and I think that's when I started to cry. I didn't know anyone there. No friends. No relatives. But others did and they became frantic. Cells phones were jerked out of purses, pockets, and backpacks. People were sobbing. We didn't even know all the details yet. They continued to play the coverage for the rest of the evening until Pastor Sexton called a meeting and told us to pray and to remain calm and that no one was allowed to leave campus until the dust settled a little. I remember calling my parents and telling them I wanted to come home. Life was too short and I wanted to be home with my family. Thank God He didn't allow me to do that. That day in all its horrific events, changed us all I think. We finally felt that feeling that I think the people of WWII felt when Pearl Harbor was attacked. These things only happen on FOREIGN soil right? Not our land. Not our country. Who would do this???? The same people who did this before, those who hate us. Not for much more than what we stand for - Freedom. Many generations of Americans had now enjoyed a peaceful existence with very little if no conflict. We never had suicide bombers. We never had to worry about getting on a bus or a plane and wondering if this one was headed for a "target". We never had to see soldiers walking through airports with big guns and signs threatening jail time if you even JOKED about a bomb. I remember my first time flying after that day. I had flown before and was so shocked at the level of security that had been put into place. But I'm thankful for it. I'm thankful for a president who took action no matter how others felt about it. I'm thankful for a military that jumped at the chance to further protect our country. I'm thankful for those who stood up and joined the military because they suddenly had an united cause - to protect the freedom and way of life thay had had up to that point. I'm thankful for the staff at my college who, despite their own worries and fears, put them aside to comfort a student body who was deeply upset over what happened. I'm thankful for the preachers and Christian leaders who took what was handed to them and tried their best to help reach hurting souls for Christ. I'm thankful to God who took this time to, I think, give a wakeup call to a generation of complacent people. And even though I feel we've started to doze back off, we need to take this day, EVERY YEAR, and remember those people who died so that we might have another chance. To remember that there are more people like those hijackers out there and we need to be ever ready to reach others for Christ. You never know who you might be witnessing to who's life could be turned around in more ways than you ever thought possible. As a way of ending my little "rant", please remember the families of those who died that day and have died since in our response to 9/11. They will be hurting in a way that we can't imagine today.