Where Were You When… ?

As a nation, we’re coming up on a day that I hope we will never forget; September 11, 2001.  I cannot imagine anyone over the age of 21 that doesn’t remember where they were when they first heard the news that America was under attack.
It’s still hard to believe that 72 Police Officers and 343 Firefighters were killed while trying to save their fellow man.  When it was all over, a total of 2,996 people had been murdered that day.
Take a look at this picture of some of the hero’s who perished that day seeking to save others.

What stands out to me is that there are men and women of every shade of “color.”  To these heroes, it didn’t matter what people looked like on the outside, they were one in mission and focus.  They pulled together in a tragedy to help each other and to help others.
For just a moment, put aside political affiliations and just think about our nation.  I don’t know about you, but this is the only example in my lifetime where America, for the most part, was unified in purpose.  The external differences subsided, at least for a short time.
For the first time, I heard people openly speaking about Jesus Christ on mainstream TV, and it wasn’t in mocking terms.  They spoke openly of praying to God and asking for His guidance, and it was “normal,” it was sincere!  Nothing  like the Christians we  see depicted on “Family Guy” or “Simpsons.”
I was an Air Traffic Controller at O’Hare TRACON when this took place.  I’ll never forget being at work a couple of days later when churches across the nation opened up for prayer during the day.  I had the privilege of going during my lunch break to pray with a lady that I worked with who was a brand new believer.  She told me she’d never prayed out loud before and she didn’t that day.  But our hearts were unified in praying for those who lost their lives, their relatives and our nation.
As I reflect on the upcoming 9-11, it causes me to look back on everything that has happened to us personally over the last 15 years.  There are great memories, and some not so great.  But each and everyone of those memories has impacted me and molded me into where I am today.
This year we’d like to give you the opportunity to share two “Where You Were When . . . ?”  stories.  We want to hear from you.   We want you to share a piece of your “mosaic!”  The two dates we want you to share with us are:

1. “Where Were You When . . . ?” on 9-11?
2. “Where Were You When . . . ?” you recognized you were a sinner and needed Jesus to save you?

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 tells us to:
¹⁶ Rejoice always; ¹⁷ pray without ceasing; ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
I admit that it is difficult to give thanks in “everything,” but that’s what God tells us to do.  Please share your two stories with us using our contact page so we can share them in the upcoming weeks!
May the Lord richly bless and keep you.
Stay Bold,
Carl Kerby