Some calendar days pass by with little significance to us individually.
This is not one of those days.
The date is spoken or we see it written out and something internal goes off. A sickening feeling in the pit of the stomach or a dry lump rises up in the back of the throat. This day, September 11, will never be a normal calendar day.
I remember that day 14 years ago.
If evil men hadn’t decided to take innocent lives with them as they cowardly died themselves then that day would have passed by like many others…forgotten in the mundane of the everyday. But they chose to destroy and so I choose to not be the same. I choose to remember.
- I choose to honor those who innocently boarded a plane for a business trip, a return home or a much-needed get-away but never made their destination.
- I choose to honor those who went to work in their usual way and didn’t return home.
- I choose to remember those who gave their lives to save others.
- I choose to not be the same
On this day, evil reared its ugly head and took innocent lives. Cowards take innocent life. Cowards plot and plan how they can destroy others without facing consequences for their actions.
Some say, “It’s in the past. It’s over, let it go.” But for many it’s not over…. it will never be over. This day holds ugly sadness. This day brings feelings of anger and righteous indignation… as it should because evil rose up and took innocent lives.
For us to remember says, “Your life matters!” And because of the actions of evil men we will never be the same. Our hearts are torn and our minds still reel over the images seared into our very being. We will not forget and we choose to not be the same.
A prayer for those who remember today: Heavenly Father, I pray for those who wake up and don’t want to remember that today they lost someone dear to them. Cover them with grace, surround them with peace and hold them close. Bring comfort to them and may they sense Your presence near them this day and every day.
And for us, may we honor those who lost their lives by remembering, praying and loving those who are hurting today.
May we not forget. May we always honor their memory by living our lives to their fullest potential. May we fight for the innocent, stand up to evil and rise above wrong by doing what is right.
May remembering cause us to not live the same but to live for the good, … live for the right… and live our lives honoring You. In Jesus name, Amen.
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We are linking up with Kate and the gang at Five Minute Friday. If you’d like to join us, click here. Our prompt today is: SAME
Tripping Over Typeset 
I will not forget. Never. And, for the record, “Your Life Matters” is going to be the theme for the message I’m preaching this Sunday morning 🙂 It’s going to be a variation off of the “All Lives Matter” phrase.
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Should be a good message. Thank you for remembering!
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Oh yes. That terrible, awful day, the sickening feeling in the pit of my stomach. I knew something was wrong because when I flicked on the radio in my van, Peter Jennings was talking. My husband was to be in the air, slated for a flight to DC.
I frantically called him, but he already knew. Nobody was going in or out of anywhere.
Your prayer is beautiful and I prayed it too. Thanks for the reminder today, Rachel.
I’m your neighbor! #FMF
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This is one of those days where we never forget where we were when we heard. May we never forget for those lives that were lost! Thank you for sharing your story with us… and thank you for praying as well!
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Rachel, as you know, I think I made it pretty clear how I feel and no I will never forget but a good and long time friend just reminded me of something I had to share. Her eldest was born on that very dark day and so, even in the darkness God put a beautiful and new soul on the earth and although she lives in Florida now she was living here in NYC when she had her. Between your message and her thoughts, I am still sad and crying but I have new thoughts and honoring those that died differently, might just change my thinking. Working on finding new ways, onward to next year.
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That is beautiful! And yes, Stacey, I agree we can find beauty in the ashes… good from the bad and in all things He works good from bad. That’s a great way to get through today! Thank you for sharing!
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Rachel, yes!! We will never forget. Those images are forever seared in my heart and mind and I too choose not to forget. Beautiful prayer. My fave line is this one: “May remembering cause us to not live the same but to live for the good, … live for the right… and live our lives honoring You. In Jesus name, Amen.” I’m parked in the #9 spot this week.
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Thanks for stopping by, Tara. And thanks for remembering! 🙂 Happy Friday to you!
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Beautifull post, Rachel. I remember the day so well, and the shock of the realization that I had just watched a plane fly into a building. And then another. And then the building collapses. So horrifying to watch. Now, we teach our children about the tragedy of this date, of what’s been woven into the fabric of our nation’s history. And we remember. We choose to remember the heroes, the victims, the families. And that evil will try to win. But because of God, it will be defeated.
Thank you so much for your prayer. I prayed it too.
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I remember exactly what I was doing when the television screen flashed with the graphics of an urgent news bulletin. It was my senior year of high school. Three of my friends were in the armed forces – two Marines, one in the Army. My uncle was in the National Guard, another was in the Navy. Two other uncles were cops. They were all called in one way or another to help.
All those innocent people…
Come, Lord Jesus. Come.
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Yes, it’s a day we will never forget! Thank you for sharing and thank you to those men and women who served!
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I’ll never forget either, Rachel. Thanks for these beautiful words.
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Thanks for remembering and thanks for stopping by!
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You and I are on the same page. I wrote about September 11th as well. Things certainly haven’t been the same ever since. Thank you for this honorable post.
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Thank you for stopping by!
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Yes, Rachel, good point…since we have the opportunity to live, we can choose to not live the “same.” Touching post, thanks for sharing. ((blessings))
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