Events that Shape Us

The Chrysler Building

As our country took time to remember the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, I thought about how in some ways it seems like the event was ages ago and many things have changed. But in quite a lot of ways, it still feels like yesterday. It kept our country in shock for a long time. The history of our lives was being written, changed, sorted by tragedy that we didn't fully comprehend. How could we?

We are shaped by events that grip us in uncertainty and fear. A choice is set before us, as to which way we are to be shaped. Are we shaped for good, with love as our guide? Or shaped with hatred, seeking revenge? Do not let the evils of this world dictate your life. By doing so, you are giving into that evil, which is exactly what it wanted.

I remember the first time I flew after 9/11. March 2003 with my brother Jason, to New York City. It was 18 months after the hijacked planes flew into the towers, and things were different, but the questions still lingered- would it happen again? Was there another attack planned?

I was learning that in order to enjoy the blessed life God has given me, I cannot live in fear of the "what if....."

So, Jason and I headed to New York City. As our plane neared the city, I sat there thinking about all those people who were in the hijacked planes and how they saw what I was now looking at just before they died. The vibrant, diverse, expansive, and historic city that my plane approached. 

It was a humbling experience. One that also helped me jump over that hurdle of fear. I took a deep breath and realized that I wasn't scared of what lie ahead. I am certain my many prayers during the flight eased my worries, but that moment of realizing the fears did not control me was like being released from a tiny prison cell. Free!

I had the best time in New York City with Jason. We walked so much each day that my legs ached as I got into bed, but I didn't care. We took the wrong subway and ended up in Queens when we meant to go to Broadway. I stood in front of the Tiffany & Co. window gazing at the ridiculously expensive jewelry like Audrey Hepburn in "Breakfast at Tiffany's", except it was snowing and was 18 degrees. I stepped into the New York Public Library with wide eyes. We went inside the Chrysler Building and felt like we'd been transported into the 1930s when it was built. We visited the Guggenheim, Frank Lloyd Wright's well-known building (his last one before he died), and stared at the art we didn't understand, but marveled at the architecture. And we watched, from our hotel window, a big group of anti-war protesters marching down the street to the UN, only 4 blocks from our hotel.

Oh the tales we have to cherish of such an incredible city.