Day 2393 of the 7 day Bible verse challenge.


Romans 12:15 NIV

20 years ago today our nation was faced with one of the darkest, scariest, most painful days that many of us have ever witnessed or experienced. It was one of those days that left a mark that will never be erased while we're breathing the air on this side of eternity. One of those days that brings about so many different emotions and memories that it can't help but stick with you. One of those days that is all but impossible to put into words.

Like many, I remember more details about that day than I do nearly any other day since. Sitting in class watching the daily morning news program they played that brought the news of the attack. The National Anthem hitting a little differently before playing my first football game. Knowing that something big had happened without having any idea of the actual size. Never knowing how big or life-changing of a day it actually was but knowing that something historical had happened. Seeing the headlines and videos and images of something that just didn’t seem possible.

But one of the things that has always stuck with me as much as anything else is the days and weeks after that day. Seeing more flags flying than ever before. This sense of kindness and unity that was so powerful it almost had physical weight to it. More people waving. More people talking with one another. More prayers going up for those in the middle of something we couldn’t begin to fully wrap our minds around. More compassion for those around us because we realized that we were all together for once. More love for our friends and family because we just saw how fleeting life is and how our time could be up at any moment. More patriotism and pride in who we were as country. More unity than I have ever seen since.

That day reminded us to be a little more kind. It encouraged us to be a little more willing to help others. It gave us images of heroes covered in ashes and dirt running toward the chaos to help people they didn’t know. It showed us what it was like to get our bell rung and fight back from something catastrophic. It helped us see that there is nothing we can’t get through or endure when we stand together. That kind of unity is a true rarity in our world anymore. It’s something that we need so badly yet just can’t seem to find anymore. But man, if we could, if we could find that inside of us again then there is nothing that we couldn’t improve in our world!

All these years later we’ve managed to lose sight of so many of those important lessons that September 11th taught us. We’re so wrapped up in our own lives, our own truths, our own desires to be right or popular that we don’t know how to work together anymore. We don’t have time to care about those around us because we’re too busy being mad. We don’t have the interest in listening to those who are different because we’re convinced they’re wrong. We don’t have love for one another because hatred has become the newest fad that has polluted our minds. We don’t care about unity because being offended and polarizing is more important these days.

Personally, I will never stop dreaming of and fighting for a life that echoes the calling of this verse. A life where we celebrate the good news that others receive because we’re genuinely happy for them, not jealous of them. A life where we reach out to those around us who are hurting, not ignore them because we’re busy worrying about our lives. A life where we want the best for everyone, not just ourselves. A life where love and kindness isn’t rare anymore. A life where we strive to build one another up, not tear each other apart. I know it’s possible. I know we can do it. We’ve seen it. We’ve done it. But we’ve forgotten how.

Friends, we are all in this together. We all have so many opportunities to help those around us. We have so many chances to make things better by letting love and humility lead the way. But we have to do just that. There will be good days and bad days. And all of us will experience plenty of both. When we face this all together then the good days are even better and the bad ones aren’t nearly as bad. That’s something worth fighting for. These lives will never be about us alone. God didn’t put us here by ourselves, so we shouldn’t live like He did. We should take advantage of every single chance we have to help someone else because that’s exactly what God calls us to do.

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