Forever Beloved

i remember that day like it was yesterday…

i was at work when someone came into our office and told us a plane had hit the world trade center…i remember thinking they HAD to have gotten the information wrong…but within moments we were all crowded around the only television in our building…we were there watching the towers fall…all staring in shock…

after flight 93 crashed in shanksville we were told they were letting us out of work early…i work for the state and they were afraid of an attack on state buildings…

i remember the only thing i wanted to do was hold my babies close to me…jade was 2 and joey was 4 at the time…i couldn’t wait to wrap my arms around them…hold them close and protect them…i had a million questions running through my head…what did this mean for their future?

as soon as joe and i both got home that day the first thing we did was get out our american flag and hang it on our front porch…we stood there, looking at the flag and held hands…it was a day we will never forget…

in the following days i wept many times…for those who lost their lives…for children left without parents…for families that lost their loved ones…i remember thinking how horrible it must have been knowing your fate and making that last phone call to your loved ones…knowing you would never again see them…even now thinking of that i am tearing up…

in the following days i was also SO proud to be a christian and an american…we were united as a nation…we prayed together, wept together, held each other…we were kinder, gentler and more patient with each other…we held doors open for strangers and didn’t get angry when someone cut us off on the freeway…

i wish i could say we were all still practicing that grace towards each other but, sadly, we aren’t…we’ve continued on in life and we’ve forgot…i’m totally guilty of this as well…as i think of this today i’m reminded of the following verses…and i strive to remember everyday grace given is grace received…

Luke 6:35-37   But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men.  Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.  Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

out for now
~kisses