9/11 devotion - Where Was I? - Matthew 12:7

Matthew 12:7           If you had known what these words mean, 'I desire mercy, not sacrifice,' you would not have condemned the innocent.

            I always find today difficult. The memories that I have of 9/11 are perhaps different from most people. When all of America and the rest of the world was shocked by the terrorist attacks, I was sitting at a hospital bed holding the hand of a friend who was dying. The quietness throughout the whole medical floor was unreal. Doctors and nurses were watching a portable television at the ward desk. No one spoke; all of them were absorbed in the catastrophic insanity and merciless attack on the World Trade Center towers. The whole ward appeared to stand still and you could sense a terrible fear permeating throughout the hospital. Soon everyone was on high alert, fearing the absolute worst because there were rumors that hundreds of planes had gone missing.

Meanwhile I was holding my friend David’s hand, watching the monitors slow down, waiting for that last moment of his life. Across from me, his wife Linda sat with tears streaming down her face, as she lovingly patted his hand and quietly pleaded with David to stay alive. We were powerless in a helpless world. A little side-story within a frightening moment of history. We really didn't know what was happening outside, but death also visited us on that dreadful and painful morning.

Later on today, I’ll go over to David’s grave, where Linda is now also buried, and place some flowers over them. I’ll talk to them about that sad day, but also remind them of the pleasant memories that we shared which I still carry in my heart. I’ll also promise them that one morning, I’ll see them again in that beautiful land where suicidal madness and fanatical martyrdom have no reward; where suffering, pain, and evil cannot penetrate; where God actually wipes away all of our tears.

May God be with us all as we remember the past, knowing that He still watches over us presently, and will lead us to a better, not bitter, life through His Son Jesus Christ. Amen.