Remembering this day, 25 years after the event that changed our country. Here is a bit of what I experienced.

We were living in a rental in a very small town in Iowa. My husband was at work, and he called me to say, I should probably turn the television on and watch what was happening. I did.

Really, it was probably not the best thing for my young children to see in live footage. My girls were only eight and six at the time. My father in law had colon cancer, with but three of his treatments following surgery completed. My niece had just died unexpectedly in July. And my grandmother had just moved into a nursing facility with end stage life taking her on the journey towards her end. Life was full of death and woe at that moment in our family. My husband had also just finished a few weeks off after an unfortunated accident at work that put him on bed rest for a time.

Watching death happen in real time was not exactly what we needed to see on the day that we all know as an emergency number. It’s hard to believe that there are kids who were not born yet, who now think they can text nine one one. Really? Really?

In these past twenty five years, much has happened to reshape the family and the people that are now my circle. My children are grwon and married. My daughters in full fledged motherhood are looking forward to giving me grand child number six. My in laws are now passed on along with my father. Several uncles and aunts have gone ahead of us also into eternal life.

How do we teach the history in a way that helps our children, grand children and our newest citizens to be properly reactive and to fear not. It is such a learned behavior to whine and fuss about all things rather than react in confidens and wisdom. Some children are little nuclear reactors to everything they experience whereas others are calm and peaceful, brave and stable. Helping children to be winners during any moment through the day is a never ending constant parenting. Leading a child into life in ferocious confidence, is key to one’s survival when life happens in a way that is unexpected.

Fear not.

Teaching fear not means being fear not. Some days I wonder why my body is reacting to life in the way that it does. I am studying health and nutrition in a deep dive like never before because there is not much life left for me to live. I want to live the rest of my life, not just survive whatever happens to me in the next many years. I want to live life, really LIVE.

So many moments in time are frozen in time as the attacks of terrorists took the future from them. Living through the terror there are so many who learned fear that they could never have considered. Knowing cruelty and horror. There were many who afterwards, not being part of the recovery or emergency response, who would feel guilt for going on living.

That day, we went right out and bought a flag. We had left our pole and flag in the country of the house we just sold. Living in a rental house was not our “dream life.” But the day changed us. We decided to do a couple of “living” choices. We took a family trip on a train in Wisconsin about three weeks later, and then chose to purchase a modular home to put on the family homestead . And here we are.

How is it that in the face of death many fear life? Yet we did. Then it became evident that fear is what the enemy wanted for us. NO! I began to tell myself and my children we will fear not, I will not fear. I will live and live life to the fullest.

Today the news in just the past year has been dark. A mother of three innocent children in her intense fear of the day and morrow took their lives with her own. bare hands and has lived to be acquitted of this hideous evil. How is it that others will now follow in her lead and take the very lives they so labored to birth? This is vain and abominable sin. What right has she to go on breathing after taking such horrid actions? And then also is the talk that a man who spoke truth deserved to die for his speech that offended others.

What makes people fear mere words and take such offense at the expressed word? Has the darkness that took down the towers twenty five years ago entered the spirit of this land that once claimed such freedom? What freedom is there if one should fear lest he or she say the wong thing and be shot?

Fear not.

In twenty five years the darkness has grown more menacing and cruel. Sin has not been called such. Yet God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. (I John chapter one). I shall fear only the God of Light who alon can turn his back leave a land in utter darkness.

Oh, that I would not be Jonah and run the opposite direction when I see the land of Nineveh in such need. I will fear not to share God’s light and be the hope in the midst of this dark night.

Fear not

Psalm 23:4. “Yes, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear evil; for You are with me, Your rod and Your staff they comfort me.”