My parents’ generation knows exactly where they were when they heard the news that President Kennedy was shot. My generation also has a worldview-altering moment: when we heard terrorists flew planes into the World Trade Center.
I had just taken Reed, age 6, to school that morning and stopped on the way to pick up fresh flowers for a friend’s birthday. I walked him to his Kindergarten class, set the flowers on my friend’s desk, said my hey’s and good morning’s to teachers and other parents and started my drive back home. Jase was home with Cole, age 3, who had shown signs of the chicken pox the night before. I would have normally gone to my job at The Woman's Clinic that day but, after seeing the spots on Cole that Monday night, called my boss and told him I would be staying home with my little boy who would surely be sick the next day. A normal morning with normal errands and normal challenges.
My mom called me while I was in the car. I couldn’t believe what she was telling me. I turned into my driveway and ran into the house to see if I could find out more about the horrific plane accident on the news. As Jase and I watched the next few minutes unfold, we had two different reactions: I started crying and Jase became visibly angry. He left the house for Duck Commander (still located at his parents’ house) because he couldn’t bare to watch after the first tower fell. I sat on the end of my coffee table and watched Shepherd Smith for hours. Cole, who was earlier vaccinated for chicken pox, fortunately never showed any signs of feeling bad. He played and napped normally while the world seemed like it was collapsing.
I don’t remember picking up Reed that day from school. I don’t remember cooking dinner or putting the boys to bed that night. I just remember my shock, sadness and eventual anger.
Exactly two years later, 9/11/03, I was at my prenatal appointment, pregnant with a baby girl who we knew would be born with physical challenges, the extent we were unsure. I was having my own physical challenges, severe enough that my doctor wanted to admit me ASAP and deliver the baby. It’s a somber day of remembrance. It still felt like yesterday. I worked with most of these healthcare workers for years, including my doctor. We all stole as many moments as we could to catch glimpses on the waiting room TV’s during those horrific hours, days and weeks after 9/11, all while doing our jobs, all while grieving for our fellow Americans, all while trying to figure out what the future of America even looked like for us and our children.
I begged my doctor, if at all possible, to let me wait until the next day to deliver Mia. Please don’t let her have a 9/11 birthday. She already has such obstacles to overcome. I won that battle with the compromise of being watched closely in an effort to wait just a few more hours before giving birth. At that time to me, 9/11 meant death, grief, sadness, a heaviness, an anger I couldn’t even fathom moving on from, even two years later. But the next day, 9/12/03, was coming. Hope was on its way. The sun was destined to rise again. That next day brought to me and Jase a new life, beauty, sweetness, unity and tears of joy. It also brought new challenges and fears, ones we would face together. Hope!
Make no mistake: 9/11 happened because evil exists. It’s not a gray area. Evil doesn’t have good days or moments of kindness. Evil IS “businesslike”. Its business is to steal, kill and destroy in whatever way it deems necessary!
Jesus said in John 10:10, “The thief (Satan) comes only to steal and kill and destroy (9/11); I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (9/12) .” (My additions in parenthesis)
We remember and pray for the families of the 2,977 innocent people who were murdered 20 years ago by evildoers. Most of us saw those murders in real time, and we will NEVER forget it.
When we wake tomorrow, we will mourn. We are all 9/11 families because it effected all of us in some way. But 9/12 is coming. Sunday we celebrate new life because we have hope. We celebrate Jesus, who MAKES life. With Jesus, life doesn’t end with the last heartbeat! Life is forever. Jesus is forever. Jesus is our hope.
Don’t let the business of evil cause you to live in fear. With Jesus, we are conquerors!
Where were you on 9/11?
More importantly, where will you be on 9/12?
Comments
Wendy:
What a very powerful message!! Our Hope is only in Jesus. He is the only one to save us from evil.
Missy, this gave me chills and brought tears to my eyes.
You are a VERY inspiring woman-especially to me. I hope to be half of the person that you are one day.
God bless you and your beautiful family. ♥️
Apr 10, 2022
Lisa:
AMEN! Placing our hope in Jesus is the only answer for this world. Our prayer, my husband and I is to continually be the SALT & LIGHT we are called be so that all have the opportunity to know, serve and love our Savior.
One of our favorite verses is Habakkuk 2:14 (who quotes Habakkuk lol, I know) but its so powerful – “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.” WHAT A DAY THAT WILL BE!
9.11 We will always remember!
Sep 11, 2021
Darla Mills:
I was at home watching T.V. and my Dad came in and said put the news on. The United States is under attack. That started all kinds of thoughts right there. How big of an attack? What kind of an attack? Who is attacking? Why are they attacking?
I saw a tower burning in New York. The tower called the World Trade Tower which had another right beside it. A couple of minutes later I watched another plane fly right into it with out stopping!
The images were surreal and it almost felt like I was watching a movie. My head just could not get around what I was watching….
I felt like we might all die, like there was that possibility. Maybe a world war again or multiple invasions were occurring and we just hadn’t been alerted to that yet. It felt like there was a rock in my chest and that feeling lasted for hours.
We continued to watch and saw the Pentagon was destroyed on one end as well and that a plane had crashed in a field in Pennsylvania. The plane had been taken over by terrorists and brave Americans did the unthinkable. They knew they were going to die and that the plane they were in was heading for the White House at the instructions of the terrorists.Those brave people gave their lives to stop what was was intended for the White House and they did it!!! Amazing and honorable and so brave…some gave all! Heroes come in all shapes and sizes and I’m grateful for those that this country has raised and sent out into the world to protect and die for what is right!!
Sep 11, 2021
Kayla:
That fateful day, I was the same age as Reed but was in first grade. I don’t really remember much but just that the world was changing and I didn’t understand. Now that I am grown, I have come to understand that the evil from that day was devastating but the hope that came with the next day is all that was needed.
Sep 11, 2021
Caryn:
A few weeks after the attacks, we were driving to Rhode island to visit out daughter in college. As we stopped at the toll booth, the attendant, seeing our license plate, leaned out and said, “Hey, New York—you ok?” A simple question, but showed our unity as a country.
Sep 11, 2021
Kelly Herring:
September 10, 2021 at 22 years old, I gave birth to my first child, a healthy baby boy! So enthralled, overwhelmed, happy and in love!
We were of course still in the hospital the following morning, 9/11, when my Dr sadly walked into my room, he was always upbeat, smiling and happy, but the moment he walked in, I knew something was wrong.
He asked for the remote control to the TV, turned it on and there was the tragedy, he gave us a run down and then we sadly watched as the rest of the sadness unfolded.
Our happy spirits were saddened by such horrible events. I remember thinking, “here I am bringing new life in to the world, while all of this sadness is happening”
I almost felt guilty for my own little bit of joy, but knew that God was allowing me to feel that along with the worlds sadness. A time, place and event that I will never forget.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful story, Missy and Happy Birthday, Mia!
Sep 11, 2021
Jessica D:
I was a senior in high school. Just getting into my pre calculus class when one of my class mates ran in saying that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center. We turned the tv on and we were watching as the second plane flew in to the other tower. A moment I will NEVER forget.
Sep 10, 2021
Stephanie Purdy:
Beautiful story! I remember 9-11 so clearly. I had only been married to my husband for almost 6 months and we were stationed in Okinawa, Japan…far away from family. We were in lock down due to a super typhoon that had hit the island, left, and returned. We had just finished watching a movie when the news came on (we were 12 hours ahead so it was a little after 9 p.m. when we saw what was happened for. Life as we new it changed forever. My husband was special forces in the army and spent many tours overseas. Things have changed so much since those tours. I’m thankful for each service member and their families for the sacrifices they’ve made in the years since losing so many on 9-11.
Sep 10, 2021
Denise Hallinan :
I will never forget. I was working in the city and was thankful I never took that job in the downtown area. I remember trying to get into the city that morning and the trains were delayed. I’m usually tense when the trains were delayed, but for some reason, that morning I was not. I walked into work late only to be greeted by somber faces. Most of my colleagues were watching the terror unfold on the television as was I. It was a horrible day and to see the smog all the way in mid-town broke my heart. I just stopped in the middle of the street and watched in disbelief. My phone was ringing off the hook with people checking in on me. I was so thankful for my safety but heartbroken for those who were not, for those who waited to hear from their loved ones. I remember arguing with my father to stay home because he wanted to travel from the Bronx to Manhattan to pick me up but I insisted he stay home because my car was in Queens and I had to pick it up. When I finally made it home, my dad and I embraced and I rested my head on his shoulder. I was able to go back to queens to get my car. I remember crossing the Whitestone Bridge and it was desolate at 10pm!. I drove so slowly over the looking at my city just smoke. When I finally made it to the toll booth, a transit police officer was there directing the little traffic. There was no charge to cross the bridge that evening and I remember making eye contact with the transit officer. We both gave one another a look of sadness, kindness to one another, sympathy…it was an unspoken understanding/compassion that we shared…complete strangers.
Sep 10, 2021
Paula Hall:
Great story. Our only hope is in Jesus. Hugs and pray Mia has the great birthday.
Paula
Sep 10, 2021
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