Remember

Today marks my 2,000th post on this blog.

Two thousand times I’ve sat down with my thoughts, my faith, my questions, my stories, and tried to put a few words together that might encourage someone else to think more deeply about God and live more purposefully.

And it happens to fall on the 25th anniversary of September 11.

Chances are, if you were alive back then, you remember exactly where you were on September 11, 2001. More than 2,977 victims died in the terrorist attacks that shook our nation.

I remember exactly where I was.

Back then, I lived in Roanoke and managed a restaurant that had recently started serving lunch in addition to dinner. Since I wasn’t used to getting up early, I had begun setting an alarm on my little radio.

That morning, half-awake, I thought I was listening to an Orson Welles-style broadcast—some unbelievable story about aliens invading Earth.

Then I turned on the television.

The first tower was already burning.

As the newscaster spoke, I watched a plane fly into the second tower.

Live. On television.

And then I watched the once-majestic Twin Towers crumble to the ground.

The images remain vivid.

We didn’t open the restaurant that night. Everyone sheltered in place. The streets were nearly empty. There were no planes in the sky—a striking silence, especially because I lived near two airports.

The next night, a group of us gathered outside the restaurant to pray and comfort one another. We were still trying to comprehend what had happened.

We knew something had changed.

Life would never be the same again.

Truth is, some moments are simply too significant to forget.

In the years since, I’ve learned that remembrance matters to the Lord.

Throughout Scripture, God repeatedly tells His people to remember.

Remember what He has done.

Remember where He brought you from.

Remember His faithfulness.

Remember His promises.

Remember.

Because remembering isn’t simply looking backward.

It helps us recognize who God has been so we readily trust Him with where we’re going.

Today, I’m remembering September 11.

I’m also remembering the thousands of ordinary days that somehow became 2,000 posts.

And most of all, I’m remembering the faithfulness of a God who has been present through all of it.

2,000 posts.

That’s a lot of words.

Behind every word is a story.

And behind every story is a God worth remembering.

Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he uttered.

Psalm‬ ‭105‬:‭5‬ ‭ESV‬‬
https://bible.com/bible/59/psa.105.5.ESV