I can remember exactly where I was five years ago as the major event of our generation unfolded. I was in the cooler putting groceries away, it was truck day and I was cleaning up the piles of boxes so one could actually reach the shelves of edibles without climbing over them. Our milk delivery man, who also happens to be a friend of mine, came in and asks if we have a TV in the office and if anyone had heard anything about New York that morning. Of course no one had had any contact with the ‘outside’ world since they got to work, some as early as 4:30am. It was quite shocking when we tuned into CNN or FOX or whoever it was and saw universal coverage of something going on, at this point no one knew what was happening.
We had to go back to work, all our students still had to eat. We moved almost in a daze as snippets of info flowed around the kitchen, some from the radio, some from the TV, some from the Work-study students coming in. None of it adding up or making sense. Only the next day was there any sort of idea what had happened. I can only imagine that this will be the event in our generation like the Kennedy assassination for our parents, you know exactly what you were doing, where you were, and who you were with.
As I look back at that date, it is a definite marker that I can hang other events on. In the last five years I went from a general foodservice worker, to a pressman in my dad’s shop, to a college student with a couple of interesting summer jobs in between. I went from a 17 yr old kid on the farm in NE to a 22 yr old student in CA. From a dream of doing studio work at/near home to dreaming of producing courses overseas to further the impact of solid seminary teaching. From an unemotional clod to a more sensitive friend. Hopefully closer to the image of Christ that I have been striving to attain.
Thank you to all who have impacted me over the last few years. My parents, my brothers and sisters, my church people; Pastor Doug and Glee, John M, Tom V, Marty S, Doug and Bev L, Scott and Cindi P. and of course my school people who have only seen the last half of the change, thanks for being encouraging, helpful, comforting, and even bluntly honest . . . I really appreciate it.
As I look five years ahead of where I am now I see nothing specific, but in reflection of where I have come in the last five I am confident that I shall not be led astray by the God who refuses to do anything but the best for me. As long as I rest in Him and do not lose focus I will be tested, tried and proven.
Praise God for the strength to carry on,
thanks for that, Amos. It is so good to take a momement and reflect back on all the changes that have transpired. It doesn’t seem like five years ago, that’s for sure. Wow.
I appreciate the peek into your life and past.
I miss you, friend.
thais
Ross had been downstairs in his “Rossdom”and he came upstairs and said something about checking the news. This is when I discovered Fox News Channel, and it became my favorite out of the choices on TV. I remember Shepherd Smith standing on the roof of their building, and his reaction to what was going on. …watching the buildings burn…..watching them fall…watching the people run….
It was my birthday!! I spent most of the day glued to the TV. There was this fear that something else was going to happen, and I didn’t want to miss it. Ross took me to Quiznos for lunch. There was a couple there from our church, they were a little fazed but not much. However, they had been at work and hadn’t watched it all happen.
One of the verses that kept coming to mind was “for such a time as this”. I kept thinking that it was no accident that those of us who love Jesus were living during this time, and this was an opportunity. Out here in the middle of the country, I wasn’t quite sure what that opportunity was, but I wanted to be ready.
Psalm 33 was something that really hit me at that time, too. Especially verses 10 & 11..The Lord brings the counsel of the nations to nothing; He makes the plans of the peoples of no effect. The counsel of the Lords stands forever, The plans of His heart to all generations.
Another memory is President Bush’s speech to the Senate/House a week or so later. It was a marvelous speech!I cried through most of it. There were lots of camera shots of Hilary Clinton’s face–her expression was interesting.
I thought of my mother talking of World War II, and how no one could know what it was like unless they were there. The fear, and the working together towards a common goal. For a very short time, I do think we experienced something similar.
“Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. For our heart shall rejoice in Him, because we have trusted in His holy name. Let Your mercy, O Lord, be upon us, just as we hope in You.” Psalm 33:20-22
Gwen
Ishocked my mother be coming up the stairs and asking ‘did you know about the world trade towers?” she imediatly turned on the tv and sat down HARD. It ’twas a sad day indeed.