Our Strong Tower in Times of Tragedy. {Remembering 9/11}

It was the time of year when the last of the Queen Anne's lace lingers at the side of the road. Tragedy struck and left us reeling. Towers crumbled to the ground.

And now, it's twelve years later.

It seems like a lifetime.

In fact, it has been the lifetime of my firstborn. I was leaned up against my headboard, letting down warm life-sustaining milk for my baby girl, partaking in this most basic nurturing of human life and listening to the morning news.

The normal reports of weather, morning rush-hour, and daily happenings were interrupted for heart-wrenching news. My ears couldn't believe what was took place at 8:46am and with the rest of the world I sat in horror as acts of terror claimed innocent lives.

As the horror continued all morning, and we watched and listened to the tragic things taking place at the twin towers and the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania where the one plane crashed down, we tried to carry on with the activities of the day. We continued on with our plans for the day to visit to my sister in college, but travelled with the somber cloud of the sickening realization of what had taken place.

Lives were claimed, families were shattered, fear of more terroristic attacks loomed, and the world screeched to a stand-still; almost stopped spinning, it seemed.

I held new life close to me all that day while others desperately looked for their loved ones, and screamed in the face of injustice at broken lives and shattered peace.

It's the war this generation has grown up with and their children and grand children will read about in history class.

But it's the lives of the people lost that we remember.

The world still cries for peace. Fights for it.

Oh, how do you say it without diminishing the lives of those who have sacrificed so much, but ultimately it's not war that will bring peace, but love.

A love that already won the battle over evil and sin and death.

On a cross that stands taller than any tower.

In a world warped by evil and undone by a serpent's deception according to the sovereign plan of a gracious God.

At Calvary where the sun stopped shining and light was shut out as He became sin that we might be rescued from darkness.

"Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid."

And we keep looking to the Prince of Peace who knows our pain, our suffering, our tears. He knows what has been, what is, and what will be. He knows our sin, our shame, our sickness. He knows our 9/11s.

He is our Peace for the present, our Strong Tower for all times, our Rock to cling to when waves wash over us, our Hope for the hurting, our God of all grace for our grieving, the Way, the Truth and the Life!

Through Him we find our way through the wars, and terrors of life, through sin and death and hell. To the day when all will be restored and Peace will reign eternally.

"I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” 

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end."

Today. twelve years later, in the waves of troubles, trials, and tragedy we remember we 

have a hope secure in the Strong One that sets our feet on high places and on the Rock that will 

never crumble.