I wrote these words 11 years ago, but could have written them yesterday – not just about the events of that day, but about all of life when it is lived outside of God’s immeasurable, forgiving, majestic, jealous love. (Please silence your outcry for that last element. God’s jealousy is not humanly petty. It is gloriously divine. It is for us…all of us…, and nothing could be more breathtakingly astounding) .
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Regarding September 11…
I have a thousand questions I want answered.
I have a thousand fears I want quelled.
I have a thousand thoughts I want sorted out.
I have a thousand concerns I want soothed.
I have a thousand things I want changed.
I have a thousand people I want saved.
I have a thousand places I want seen.
I have a thousand songs I want sung.
I have a thousand steps I want walked.
I have a thousand prayers I want uttered.
I have a thousand bridges I want crossed.
I have a thousand roads I want traveled.
I have a thousand books I want read.
I have a thousand poems I want whispered.
I have a thousand birds I want freed.
I have a thousand trees I want honored.
I have a thousand skies I want admired.
I have a thousand oceans I want remembered.
I have a thousand eyes I want dried.
I have a thousand ears I want opened.
I have a thousand voices I want heard.
I have a thousand wrongs I want forgiven.
I have a thousand mountains I want climbed.
I have a thousand stars I want named.
I have a thousand lives I want lived.
I have a thousand fields I want sown.
I have a thousand rivers I want blessed.
I have a thousand children I want born.
I have a thousand sorrows I want healed.
I have a thousand days I want begun.
I have a thousand years I want danced.
I have a thousand clouds I want explored.
But I have only one God, who is true from the highest depths to the lowest valleys, from the farthest east to the farthest west, and from the beginning of always to the end of never.
The god for whom people were willing to die last Tuesday is no god at all.
The true God does not say, “Die for me.” He says, “I’ve died for you.”
The true God does not say, “Hate others.” He says, “Love others…as much as you love yourself.”
The true God does not say, “Crucify the enemy.” He says, “Crucify your heart so I can create in you a new one.”
Would that the entire world could live in the contented peace of such simple truth as this.
Breathe 
I wrote a poem on 911 as well. But I haven’t posted it. For some reason it’s still to hard for me emotionally to put it ot there!! I have a blog on word press as well. I used to write on it much more then I do now. Guess I should change that!
Thank you for the reminder, Crystal. Every year, this day is still difficult for me to process, but you so eloquently describe our God that I have hope in His plan.
Ah Stephanie…I had no idea how to process that day. The words helped a little. But in the end, perhaps there really isn’t any way to process that day – or any other painful event – because they are so antithetical to God’s original design. There are only faith-hope-and-love to cling to, and the belief that God can somehow reveal beauty and redemption where once there was only pain and suffering.
You have a beautiful heart, my friend. I thank God for you and for the gift of words he has given you. It was great to see you last weekend.
Thank you. And ditto.