A Short 9/11 Reflection

Today is a day to reflect. A day to reflect on what matters most in life. Tragedy is a tool God uses to remind us to spend more time appreciating what makes life so beautiful. Just over a decade ago we witnessed a great tragedy when we experienced the lives of so many unexpectedly taken from this earth as terrorists sent planes crashing into the two towers in New York City. All of us were deeply grieved. All of us appreciated spending time with our loved ones a little more that day. What a blessing we had to return from work or school and just hug each other, while we knew thousands of other people across the country were without mom or dad that evening.

The nation of Israel often experienced similar tragedies. They periodically found themselves at the mercy of leaders and individuals who took advantage of them, harmed them, and desired to kill them.

However, God reminded them in Deuteronomy 7:18a-19, you shall not be afraid of them; you shall well remember what the Lord your God did... the great trials which your eyes saw and the signs and the wonders and the mighty hand and the outstretched arm by which the Lord your God brought you out.

While evil may prevail at times God will always get the victory and his people will always reap the rewards.

I do not like what happened to our country on 9/11, but I do love how we can take moments like that and allow those memories to stir with in us a desire to appreciate and reflect on the many things we have to enjoy in life. It is when we loose our ability to be thankful for what we have been given that we neglect to appreciate what matters most in life. We get busy and loose focus on life's greater purpose while we pursue selfish desires. God has given you much to enjoy. He offers all of us an eternity of hope. His hand has been all over your life. He has given you life, friends, family and even himself. I hope today can be a day of reflection. Stop and appreciate what you have been given in Christ. A grateful heart experiences the joy of the Lord as it acknowledges, appreciates, and worships His hand in our lives. Through Christ we have nothing to fear. Though evil may exist, God always wins. (Romans 8:28-29)