we were never abandoned.

As everyone knows, Sunday was the 10th anniversary of 9/11.  Not that I'd call it an anniversary.  Those are usually something to celebrate.  This isn't worth celebrating...not even close.

Ground Zero sounds kind of intriguing if you don't know what it is.  What happened there.  And if you do know, it's still a mystery if you're not a native New Yorker.  Sure, you've seen the CNN footage of the planes crashing, the towers collapsing, the aftermath.  All at Ground Zero.  But we'll never really understand.  Not really.  Because we weren't there.  We didn't feel the tower quake or see the flames angrily rushing towards us.  We didn't surrender our lives hoping to save another's.  Most of us were only in kindergarten or first grade, which left us oblivious to the tragedy that was unfolding before our nation's eyes.

If you lost a parent, relative, friend in 9/11, my heart goes out to you.  And I'm saying that because, honestly, I can't find the words to say.  I won't pretend to know what you must've felt or what you're still going through, because I don't.  I won't say, "I'm sorry", because sorry could never cover it.  But I will say this.

We were pressed hard on every side.

But we were not crushed.

We were struck down.

But we were not destroyed.

We were perplexed.

But we didn't despair.

We were persecuted.

But WE WERE NOT ABANDONED.

[from 2 Corinthians 4:8-9]

God was there.  His heart was breaking at the sight.  But He brought something beautiful out of it.  A nation pulled together.  Strangers became shoulders to cry on.  Enemies became friends.  Innocent people lost their lives to stop that fourth plane from demolishing our nation's capital.  Fearless firefighters, policeman, and bystanders forgot about themselves, and because of that, they will forever be remembered. If that's not God, I don't know what is.

I've shouted up to God, furious the He allows disasters like 9/11 to happen.  I've done it over and over and over.  I probably will again.  But He has a purpose for everything.  And that purpose is Jesus.

If nothing bad happened, everyone would be happy.  We wouldn't be searching for something beyond the ordinary, because the ordinary would satisfy us.  We wouldn't need a glimpse of hope, because everything around us would be hopeful.  We wouldn't need grace, because it would be a common act people performed day to day.  But it's not like that.  We need something beyond this world.  We need hope that tomorrow is going to be better.  We need grace because no one will grant it.  If disasters ceased to exist, we wouldn't need Him.  But the fact is, we do.  We desperately need a Savior.  Someone who will take our hand and walk beside us.  Someone who will give grace when we don't deserve it.  Someone who will never, ever leave.  And that someone is Jesus.