Good morning…
“We all have something important in common,” she said softly, as we neared the end of our first fall gathering of our Sr. Moms Study. “We were all pregnant on September 11th, 2001.”
“Pregnant or caring for a newborn,” I quietly added.
Our youngest son was born on June 5th, 2001, so he was three months old when the planes plowed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center, striking terror, stealing life. Now, 18 years later, our once developing babies are high school seniors. The Class of 2020 is the final class able to say, “The horrible tragedy of 9/11 happened in our lifetime.”
As a living room full of moms, we discussed how frightening it was to birth babies and raise children in such a wildly uncertain world. We talked about where we were, what we remember, and who was lost to us on that devastating day. We shared memories of the eerie sight of no planes in the sky, the shock of silently shuffling through life’s motions, and the ugly, repeated TV images sparking our inner drive to somehow survive and thrive after senseless violence.
Right from the start of our babies’ lives, we were forced to develop radical trust in the God of our universe, the God who is sovereign over every rippling effect of 9/11. These lines from the lyrics singing through our blog posts this week speak of the deeply rooted truth we have spoon-fed our seniors since the day they were born.
“Even what the enemy means for evil
You turn it for our good
You turn it for our good and for Your glory
Even in the valley, You are faithful
You’re working for our good
You’re working for our good and for Your glory.” (Michael W. Smith’s Sovereign Over Us)
Thanks to the gracious Giver of life, much good is growing in the lives of our high school seniors and much good will continue to grow in each graduating class learning from the memory of this terrible tragedy.
You plotted evil against me, but God turned it into good (Genesis 50:20a GNT).
…Sue…
P.S. If you want to experience this life-giving song again with the lyrics present, please touch on the music video below.
