September 11, 2001

Ten years ago today was a big day in the life of our family. Today was the day our country, your uncle, your friends, and your Dad were called to war.

I remember I was a freshman sitting in my teacher's aid office and the principal came running in telling us to turn on the television. Baba worked at the school and after heading to my mom, I saw it on T.V.  One of the twin towers in New York City had been hit by an airplane. After watching for only a few minutes, another plane came and hit the second tower. People were running, it was chaos. Everyone was trying to escape the tragedy before them. Time passed and because the planes had melted the beams in the buildings, the two towers collapsed. Sadness filled my heart and fear began to run through my mind. What was next, Who was next! I remember wanting my dad to come home so I would know he was safe and not wanting him to go back to work the next day. My life had changed forever, I just did not know how much and how much it would affect me in the years to come.


Your Dad was in a Sophmore at Smiths Station High School standing outside the gym waiting to go to his second block class. Another guy who was his age was checking into school and he had seen it on the news. He told them planes had flown into the Trade Centers. Your Dad said that if at that time he would have been old enough to join he would have.

America was brought to her knees and she turned back to her roots. Christians came together and it seemed as if our nation was looking to the Lord once again. Flags flew everywhere and the word Patriotism became more real to me than ever before. Our nation came together, however war began. It seemed as though every American supported and watched as President George W. Bush declared war on terrorism. Life as we knew it was no more and everyone watched and waited as the fighting began.

But time passed and Americans grew tired of the war. As men died and families were broken, support for the war was slowly leaving. The tragedy of the towers was placed in the back of our minds and America went on with life forgetting about the men fighting far away. I was one of those people, supporting the war, but going on with life giving little thought to all that was really taken place. That was until I met your Dad!

After high school your dad had plans to work at Country's and attend college at CVCC. But God had different plans for him. On August 26th, 2004, your Dad swore into the United State Army! I have told you many things already about this time in his life and how happy he was following the will of God for his life.

But for me, war granted me but one thing, fear. I was afraid it would be brought back to America, but most of all I was afraid of never seeing your Dad again. Before his second deployment to Iraq you Dad said to me, "Either way, I am coming home." Something you did not really want to hear but knew it was the truth. Your Dad knew what was waiting for him if he were to die. He even told me once that if someone had to die in the war, he wanted it to be him because he knew where he was going. Both of the realities were more than I could bear. Let's me honest, of course I want everyone to go to Heaven, but to sacrifice your Dad for it, it was too much for me to think about.

So many nights alone at home I continued to think about and pray, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, joy, peace, and a sound mind." This verse got me through many nights when I would think about your Dad fighting in a war far away. Your Dad called me every day when he was deployed and God granted me more grace in this time in my life than ever before. I lived alone for 4 months, and now I do not even like to go in the house by myself. I remember one time your Dad missed calling just one day because a helicopter had gone down. When he called me the next day, I answered the phone and all I could do was cry! I just wanted him to be safe, I just wanted your Dad to come home!

Abigail, ten years ago today, a war would begin that would change our families life. For your dad, this day brought a sense of urgency, but for me it brought a whole new reliance on God for our security. I leave you with this passage of Scripture. It is many times called the "Soldiers Prayer" which fits us all because we are all soldiers in God's Army!

Psalm 91

 ¹ Whoever dwells in the shelter of the Most High
   will rest in the shadow of the Almighty.^[a] 2 I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress,
   my God, in whom I trust.” ³ Surely he will save you
   from the fowler’s snare
   and from the deadly pestilence. ⁴ He will cover you with his feathers,
   and under his wings you will find refuge;
   his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart. ⁵ You will not fear the terror of night,
   nor the arrow that flies by day, ⁶ nor the pestilence that stalks in the darkness,
   nor the plague that destroys at midday. ⁷ A thousand may fall at your side,
   ten thousand at your right hand,
   but it will not come near you. ⁸ You will only observe with your eyes
   and see the punishment of the wicked.
 ⁹ If you say, “The LORD is my refuge,”
   and you make the Most High your dwelling, ¹⁰ no harm will overtake you,
   no disaster will come near your tent. ¹¹ For he will command his angels concerning you
   to guard you in all your ways; ¹² they will lift you up in their hands,
   so that you will not strike your foot against a stone. ¹³ You will tread on the lion and the cobra;
   you will trample the great lion and the serpent.
 ¹⁴ “Because he^[b] loves me,” says the LORD, “I will rescue him;
   I will protect him, for he acknowledges my name. ¹⁵ He will call on me, and I will answer him;
   I will be with him in trouble,
   I will deliver him and honor him. ¹⁶ With long life I will satisfy him
   and show him my salvation.”