Sometimes my best ideas come after the fact. My genius thoughts for articles, crafts, or gifts come after the holiday or occasion has passed.
Such was the case for September 11th. I was busy doing life when I realized the date. It was the 25th anniversary! How had I missed it? Forgive my delayed recognition.
In grade school during the 1970s, we practiced getting under our desks in case of a nuclear attack. It was the time of the Cold War. We heard tidbits and occasionally names of world leaders, but terrorism wasn’t on our radar. On September 11, 2001, that forever changed.
On this September 11th morning, the memories came. The loss, the fear, the heroes.
On this September 11th, I read numerous stories of courageous emergency workers who had run toward danger, of the courageous people who took back the plane on Flight 93. Todd Beamer’s words, “Let’s roll,” have been burned in my memory for 25 years. This year, I learned more about the others who helped thwart the plan to use the plane as a weapon of mass destruction, their courage to act when it was desperately needed - when countless lives were at stake.
Our country was founded on the courage of men and women who bravely marched forward. What if they had cowered in fear?
In the Bible, we also read of courageous men and women. What if David had stayed on the sidelines, leaving his older brothers to figure out how to defeat Goliath? What if Esther had not gone to the king on behalf of her people? What if Moses had ignored the burning bush and God’s call? What if Peter, Andrew, James, and John had kept on fishing and not followed Jesus?
Since September 11th has come and gone, I’ve pondered what we can do going forward - how we can let the stories continue to motivate us.
• Do good. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us that God has plans for us to do just that: “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
• Make our moments count. None of us are going to live forever. Let our survivors have something good to say about us when we are gone.
Every day we have what I call “Esther moments.” God has placed us where we are on purpose, to do what we can, while we can, where we can. With His help, we can courageously walk into whatever the day holds.
When we are strong in the Lord and in His mighty power (Ephesians 6:10), He will give us courage that counts.
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Dawn Reed is a pastor's wife, newspaper columnist, and the author of Weiner Stew: Inspiring Stories from Appalachia. Reach her at preacherswife7@yahoo.com.
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