Remembrance

This morning as I made my way to the kitchen to put the kettle on,

I caught the feature of the 9/11 Memorial airing on the news.

I paused to remember.

I went back to that day...the moment that I turned on the news.

 I had just returned home after dropping Brandon off at school.

I remember the air being sucked out of me. The fear. The incredible wave of sadness.

I think back to a visit back home years later,

when friends took us to see the Memorial.

And how my breath stopped.

 A huge lump formed in my throat & tears welled up in my eyes.

I remember the heaviness of my heart,

mixed with the awe of seeing something so breathtakingly

beautiful, transformed from something so dark and tragic.

I felt a connection.

I recall how strangely silent it seemed as we all gathered around.

In that fleeting moment,

I didn't feel any separation or difference, 

Instead,

It was as if we were a part of something more.

In the blink of an eye...

we all stood united.

This morning...in a blink of an eye... I felt the same way.

Brandon standing at the 9/11 Memorial

Journal notes:

He is with us always.

Even when we journey into unknown places.

"We are not advertisement for Jesus.

We are evidence of Him,

and we do this best in our weaknesses,

not our strengths."

Prayerfully seek to understand where others are coming from-

especially when their words and actions confuse or upset you.

Give others the benefit of your doubt.

You don't know what is motivating them to respond as they do.

'Pursue peace with people.

See God's understanding about who they are,

what burdens they bear,

and what they struggle with.'

Don't absorb the fear & scarcity of the culture

& keep your energy anchored in God as your source.

(note: as I wrote the last sentence: I hear a jet. I glance up as a B-2 bomber flies over...

and as it fades out of sight, a pair of doves fly above me...

you know me and my signs....💝)

'Every so often something happens that literally shakes us awake,

yanks us out of our heads, reminds us of the 

preciousness of life, the uncertainty surrounding us in 

every moment, and all the many things we take for 

granted that we could be so grateful for.'

Stop. Get quiet. Breathe into the gratitude you feel for who you are,

for the gifts you've been given, and your ability to make positive changes.

Only God's Love is strong enough to break 

the hold that fear has on us.

Unexpected events shake up our routines.

As we turn to God, He clings to our hand,

and we experience His comfort and love.

be well...

xoxo

💓

"A GREAT TRAGEDY can bring people together.

When bad things happen, some people rise to help in 

the midst of great sadness,

wanting to help alleviate the pain.

Concentrate on how you too can help and see the good

that does arise in response to terrible events.

We are not helpless when bad things happen.

Agents of change show up in unexpected ways.

Together we can bring healing energy 

to the residue of tragedy."

~Emily Silva~