Something to reflect on...

Elwood · September 11, 2002

This is an excerpt from an email I received today, from my wife in a letter she sent to all of her friends and family in her address book.. It's something I thought needed to be shared, and something that we should all think about.

Pray today for the friends and family members of the victims of this day last year. Pray for the people who orchestrated the tragic events. Take the time to thank a veteran for your freedom, and to remember those lost in past conflicts to preserve our freedoms. Always remember not to judge by the outside, but to look on the inside. Always thank God for the people He has placed in your life, always thank Him for the experiences He sends your way, be they good or bad.

As the years pass, our rememberance of September 11, 2001 will fade, just as our rememberance of December 7, 1941 has faded. On that day, an equally tragic attack occurred, pulling the United States into World War II. Time healed the wounds then, and it will do so now. However, let these dates serve as the reminders they are of the fights it took to preserve our freedoms.

I hope that this day gives you a chance to heal. Sept. 11 affected us all in very different ways. Perhaps some of us have friends or family fighting in Afghanistan. Maybe one of us has a friend or a family member who helped with the clean-up efffort of the infamous Ground Zero or the Pentagon. Maybe, other than the horrible emotional effects, the profound shock that such an incident can happen, none of us were personally affected. Despite the way these terrible events struck our lives, I hope that the new spirit in America, the patriotism, the powerful way that Americans are returning to prayer, or the way the we have pulled together as a country, and put aside our bickerings, have soothed your spirit, helped you to heal, and showed you that life is unbelievably precious and short.