Remembering

It is hard to believe 9/11 was 14 years ago now.  Brad and I had just gotten engaged a couple weeks before in Washington D.C. and I was currently working as an Admissions Representative for Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL.  That day I had met up with everyone on the Admissions team to head into Chicago for our fall retreat to celebrate bringing in the current year's class, talk admissions strategy for the following year, and try to derive some new inspiration from the city....I always loved that part.  We were all in a van together listening to the radio as the music was interrupted to announce that a plane hit the tower and we were shocked and confused.  We continued our trip, thinking it was some kind of accident and waiting on more news of how it happened....when we heard that a second plane hit the other tower.  We reached Chicago during that time...to the hotel where we were planning to stay for our overnight retreat and it seemed like everyone in the hotel was in the lobby, glued to television screens....we became glued as well.

Everyone in my group that day wanted to stay in Chicago for the retreat, but I did not feel comfortable with that decision and had to voice my personal objection.  Luckily, one of the men in our group had driven separately, so he agreed to drive me back home and then return to Chicago to be with the rest of the group. I remember wrestling with this decision because I wanted to be part of the team, but these events seemed so monumental to me and no one was really sure if there may be other targets in other cities...I felt very strongly that if I did not need to be in the city at that time, I should not be.

I returned to Bourbonnais, went to Brad's house and we watched the news unfold.

Yesterday, McKenna told me her class had watched a video of 9/11 and she had cried in class and we talked about what I remembered from that day.  Stories of those who risked their lives to save others are so inspiring....those were the lights in the darkness during that attack.  I think the reason those stories always grip me so deeply is because it is the closest human example we have to the love of Jesus.... who would lay down His life for us.....glimpses of true redemption.

I do and will always remember this day....but, this memory reminds me of another darker day.....when one man made the ultimate sacrifice for us all....bringing eternal light into our darkest days.

Saved The Day

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x16ntqo_phillips-craig-dean-saved-the-day_music