Where were you?

I was at Christian Liberty Academy, getting ready for the day. 

For once, I was in my classroom early and never heard the news reports until my students came in and told me that some planes had crashed. Since planes sometimes crash, I reassured them we would pray for those people during our prayer time.

We were well into our morning when a fellow teacher came up the back stairs crying uncontrollably. I rushed into the hall as she sobbed how the Pentagon was just hit. That’s when I knew something was really really wrong.

After crowding around a TV set with my fellow teachers (and later, listening to the fighter jets scrambling overhead), we got the full situation and sat spellbound, in disbelief.

It just didn’t seem real. It felt like Hollywood took over our TV screens. It had to be Hollywood, right? We hear about countries at war and bombings a regular occurrence there, but here in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?! No way. Or wait… maybe… wow.

As we continued our day, I briefly explained what happened to my class. A hand shot up. A little second grade boy asked if we could pray for Mr. bin Laden that he would know how much Jesus loves him. My eyes filled and for a second, I couldn’t speak. When I finally could, I said, “Yes, Bryan. We can. Jesus died for Mr. bin Laden too. Didn’t He?”

That one question changed my class forever. Every single day that year, 21 second graders prayed for Mr. Osama bin Laden that he would know how much Jesus loves him and give his life to Him.

Eleven years later, so much has changed. The TSA has become almost dictator-like with what we can and cannot take on flights. As citizens, we undergo humiliating searches so we can board a domestic flight. The fear of “What if” rules every aspect of our life. We have military presence and are engaged on several fronts. Many soldiers have given the ultimate sacrifice for this country. Many young men and women watched the footage in Highschool and decided to join the Armed Forces to make sure this never happens again. I hope and pray it never does.

Before school this morning, as they dressed in Army camo and red, white and blue, I told my children what happened eleven years ago… Flight 93, the firefighters, the terrorists, the Twin Towers, the Pentagon… they sat motionless with their mouths open, disbelieving.

I said, “Never forget, Chloe and Michael. We have real heroes who dashed in to save people not caring what happened to their own lives. Honor our Patriots. Never forget!”

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God didn’t forget about America on that day. He took a horrific tragedy and used it to turn many hearts back to Him. 

Never Forget!