Patriot Day--September 11th

In you I trust, O my God. Do not let me be put to shame, nor let my enemies triumph over me. No one whose hope is in you will ever be put to shame, but they will be put to shame who are treacherous without excuse. --Psalm 25:2-3

Well, it is now past midnight on Tuesday, September 11th (at least I'm still considering it Tuesday night, that is), but I really wanted to take time, even after a long, busy day, to write a few patriotic comments for Patriot Day.

We all remember where we were when we heard the news. Some of us didn't need to be told, as we were watching as the broadcast began. I remember I was awakened by a phone call from my husband who was already at work (we're Pacific Time), and he told me I had to get up and turn on the TV. I remember him saying something like, "This is a big deal!", and something about Pearl Harbor. I remember feeling shaken up and a gloom settled over me, as my toddler woke up and snuggled into my crowded lap where I sat on the couch in front of the television. I was nearly eight months pregnant and preparing to deliver our son a few short weeks. "What kind of world am I bringing this child into?" I thought. Is this the start of 'wars and rumors of wars'? Is the world winding down to its final days? Is my son going to grow up in a world of war, and have to fight for his freedoms? Is there going to be any freedoms left by that time? So many unanswerable questions came to mind then.

"Great is Thy faithfulness, Oh God My Father. There is no darkness or turning with Him. Thy changest not, Thy compassions they fail not. Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me."

I sing that now, as I sit and blog. I love old hymns.

Did you know September 11th is called Patriot Day? I like this name for it. Everyone says, "Let us never forget...", and this is good. I hope we teach our children not the tragedy, so much as the triumph that comes out of tragedy. The pariotism we saw following that fateful day was beyond anything this generation has ever experienced in our history. I loved that American flags were sold out and on back order. Are we still flying those flags? Are we still supporting the war on terror?...or did we already forget?

"Today our nation remembers -- we remember a sad and terrible day, September the 11th, 2001. We remember lives lost. We remember the heroic deeds. We remember the compassion and the decency of our fellow citizens on that terrible day.
Also today is a day of prayer. We pray for the husbands and wives and moms and dads and sons and daughters and loved ones of those who still grieve and hurt. We pray for strength and wisdom. We thank God for the many blessings of this nation, and we ask His blessings on those who especially hurt today."
President George W. Bush

I received an amazing powerpoint slideshow via email (and passed it on to most everyone in our address book--which I don't usually do, but this one was fascinating). It was said to be photos that did not come out for years, and they were supposedly taken by military because they were taken in the air, as the towers collapsed, and after all aircraft had been ordered down.
I viewed this slideshow with my children and it opened up great discussion with them of the events of that day. We talked about Patriot Day today, and how it is now a day to remember what happened on September 11th not because it was something good to celebrate, but because it is good to remember for it shows how our country perservered such a tragedy to become stronger than we were. We are all PATRIOTS--those who stand for our country in good times and bad, and will fight for the freedoms we have.