Yahoo! is asking Americans how September 11 changed them. Below is an account from a reader.
I remember the day vividly. I remember how outraged and heartbroken we all felt. I cried as the towers fell, and then came rage when I heard of the Pentagon and the flight that crashed in that field. I desperately wanted to hurt and/or kill those responsible for these attacks. My heart became pretty dark.
And then there was a call for a special prayer session at my church, open to any and all, that we might pray to God however we needed to.
I attended this prayer meeting, and I cried as I listened to the petitions of the people there. There were over 100 people praying and crying and seeking solace and peace in the Lord.
I prayed out loud at one point, and after the end of it all, my heart was in a much better place than it was when I got there. I was still angry and resolute in my belief that those responsible needed to pay for what they had done. But I also realized that this was not my job, not my mission. My job was to support the president and the military that were there to take up that cause. I could do that, and I did, and still do.
I came to realize that God was still in control, as He is now. I don’t know the reasons He had for allowing these things to transpire, but one day maybe that will be revealed. But I came to know that I needed to rely on God, to put my trust and faith in Him, because everything was always going to go according to His will.
I don’t have to understand it, agree with it, or condone it. I just have to accept it. Does that mean I must just sit idly by as a spectator in all things? Absolutely not. I am called to action wherever and whenever I can be used to have an impact, make a difference, make my voice heard. But I must do those things not with hatred or murder in my heart, but with love and compassion for those involved. God will sort it all out, and His punishment will be swift and complete to those that will feel His wrath.
Their day is coming. And they should be very afraid, unless they will repent and ask forgiveness from the God of the universe. Their only hope is to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, to receive the Holy Spirit into their hearts and minds. Only then will they know peace and forgiveness.