I have not Forgotten

Six years ago I got onto a bus at the MT. Pleasant High school technical institute and headed home for Ithaca not knowing the tragedy that was taking place hundreds of miles away on American soil.

I listened carefully to the radio that morning thinking that it was some joke the usual not so serious dj's were playing and then i realized that they were not laughing...no one on the bus was laughing, everything grew still and silent and as if something from a movie I knew that i was living through history.

I looked at my good friend Elizabeth and said "We should pray, we've got to pray..." So for the rest of the time home we just prayed.

I arrived at school and a teacher was running to the doors to quickly usher us students inside the building, we went into the cafeteria to watch the television and I saw a tower fell...I do not remember if it was the first or the 2nd, those minutes were all very confusing and all i could do was just stand there. Tears pouring down my face, i just stood and cried for the souls that were in those buildings.

It wasn't until later that i found out that the collapse was due to the extreme heat of the flames from the planes...so i cried for those people on those planes as well.

I won't forgot the immediate action that the school took in providing us students with local counseling and guidance, re-assurance that we would be safe, we all just wanted to go home and be with our families.

I won't forget the Christians in my school coming together to pray, fellow believers that i didn't even know were there.

I won't forget the actions of our churches, I won't forget the love that Americans poured out to those families and the same love that those families are pouring out today.

I remembering telling friends at school to be hopeful, to keep praying, because good things can come out of bad situations and I think that 9/11 is proof.

So i have not forgotten and today I offer up a simple and special prayers to those families and for our country.

"Jesus, you know the hurts that many hearts have endured because of this. You know their pain and you know their intense suffering and I know that only you can comfort and heal them. So i pray for those that still mourn, that still grieve for their lost and I ask that you would bring them a healing peace today. That you will fill their hearts with hope once more, and that they would come to know your love even greater.

I pray for our country, Lord, you know the plans that you have for us, and I just ask that you will fill the hearts of Americans with compassion and love."