Factual Friday: September 11th

"I can hear you, the rest of the world can hear you and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon." – President George W. Bush

I don’t think anyone needs a “fact” or reminder of what we remember today as a country. Just about everyone remembers where they were when they heard the awful news. I was in eleventh grade and in between Physics and Calc when we found out something had happened. My mom came to the school to see if I wanted to come home. Living near a military base, a nuclear power plant and Washington, D.C. meant that anything was possible. The base went under lockdown and my dad couldn’t leave. Friends had parents that worked in D.C. and some that worked at the Pentagon that they couldn’t get a hold of. It was a scary time.

Last year, I was on night shift at WeatherBug and when I got home and sat down to watch TV while I ate breakfast, I turned to one of the news channels (probably MSNBC or CNN) and found that they were playing their coverage from September 11th in real time at the same time it had occurred that morning in 2001. It was surreal and sobering to watch again.

Several country songs came from this tragedy, a way to process the events through music. Most know Alan Jackson’s song “Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)” and many are familiar with Toby Keith’s “Courtesy of the Red, White, and Blue”. But one of my favorites is one by Daryl Worley called “Have You Forgotten”. The last time I heard this song on the radio a couple of weeks ago, my eyes welled up. I’ve pasted the lyrics below for your consideration.


“Have You Forgotten”

I hear people saying
We don't need this war
But I say there's some things worth fighting for
What about our freedom and this piece of ground
We didn't get to keep them by backing down
Now they say we don't realize the mess we're getting in
Before you start to preaching let me ask you this my friend

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire and her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going through a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry ‘bout Bin Laden
Have you forgotten?

They took all the footage off my TV
They said it's too disturbing for you and me
It'll just breed anger, that’s what the experts say
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight
Well after 9-11, man, I'd have to say that's right

Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire and her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going through a living hell
And we vowed to get the ones behind Bin Laden.
Have you forgotten?

I've been there with the soldiers who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember just what they're fighting for

Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Yes, some went down like heroes in that Pennsylvania field
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All those loved ones that we lost
And those left to carry on
Don't you tell me not to worry ‘bout Bin Laden

Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten...


But in all things, God is sovereign. In ALL things. God is not weak or absent simply because men chose to reject Him and sin. God is ever-present, not just in tragedies to comfort the afflicted and mourn with those who mourn, but He is present in our everyday lives as well. It’s hard to remember sometimes when we are faced with mountains or storms and we take our eyes off our Sovereign God. And yet, still He reaches out to us, wanting to bring us to His side, to draw His Bride to Him.

On a day where we remember the events of the past and look to the future for hope, may we not forget the One that our hope comes from.


Soli Deo Gloria,
Meghan


P.S. Just noticed that this week’s theme seems to be memories, based on this and yesterday’s blog updates. :) I’ll try to come up with something different for next week, promise!