Friends
Today marks the 22nd anniversary of a day I will never forget. The memory of that September day in 2001 is forever etched on the walls of my mind, as it is for countless Americans all across this country.
We should remember that horrific day, for in remembering, we stand with those whose lives were forever changed and honor those who never came home again. Remembering affords us the opportunity to pay our debt of gratitude to the brave men and women who sacrificed their lives to save so many. Personally, I cannot ever let this day pass without a prayer of thanksgiving for the courageous men and women of Flight 93 whose selfless actions prevented further terrorist attacks on Washington, D.C., and ultimately saved my life and countless others.
Today, I share a portion of my personal memoir about that awful day, an excerpt from my book,, “Rough Places Smooth: Moments In A Journey Through Blindness.” Will you please join me in a moment of remembrance and a prayer of peace for us all?
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“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”
Romans 12:21 – NIV
“A woman with a handheld radio stood several feet away from me. I inched closer to her and asked, “What are they saying? What’s going on?”
“A plane has hit the Pentagon. They’re shutting down all the government buildings, evacuating everyone. There still might be other planes out there.”
I stared at her in disbelief. I couldn’t seem to take it all in. Just the same, my eyes flew to the sky, searching for clues. Tall federal buildings loomed in front of us, but I knew the direction of the Pentagon from where I was standing. I had lived in D.C. in my twenties and was quite familiar with my surroundings.
My stomach clenched in panic as I saw it. There in the distance, amidst that cornflower blue sky, was a trail of dark black smoke. I felt sick. This was really happening. The unimaginable was taking place. I thought, “What if there is another plane?”
I turned my head in what I knew to be the direction of the Capitol building. It took a nanosecond to begin to process the scenarios. The most likely target would be the U.S. Capitol. I had flown enough times into National Airport to know that the Capitol building and the Washington Monument stood out like beacons from the air. You could not miss them. If you were a terrorist bent on weaving destruction, those would be easy targets. Come to think of it, the White House was another prime target. The fear bubbled up as I internalized that all those places were just blocks from where I was standing. I couldn’t stop the chilling thought that came next. “If a plane hits one of these places and we are standing out here with no cover to shield us, we are in trouble. Flying debris from the Capitol could kill us. We’re just sitting ducks.”
With an ever deepening sense of dread, I realized that there was nothing we could do. There was nowhere to go, no shelter to seek. We were stuck out here on the street, at the mercy of whatever comes next.”
-APS, excerpt from the story “Nowhere To Go” in “Rough Places Smooth: Moments In A Journey Through Blindness”*
I recall so vividly the terror of that moment long ago. I stood there staring at the sky, realizing deep within my frame that there was nowhere to go, nothing we could do to save ourselves. We were out of options. Whatever was to happen next was completely beyond our control.
Have you ever stood on such a precipice, your options running out, your circumstances spinning out of control? Have you had the sick feeling that you were at the mercy of whatever comes next?
It’s not a good feeling. It’s a hard place to stand. In such a moment, we quickly realize that we are not in control, and our only option is to trust the only One who is always in control. We have to surrender our situation to God, trusting that He can make a way when there seems to be no way.
We may not understand why such terrible things are allowed to happen. We may not always like the outcome of the circumstances we face. Still, the only pathway to true peace in this world lies with the Lord God Almighty. Trust your hard things to Him.
“No matter what hard roads we travel in this life, God walks by our side. When we place our trust in Him, Godcan, and He will, make our rough places smooth.”
-APS, 2021*
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“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6 – NIV
PRAYER
O Lord God Almighty, You are our Rock, our Refuge, our Redeemer. You will never leave us nor forsake us. Lord, we face such hard things in this earthly life. Our hearts ache. Fear grips us. Anxiety swirls inside us. We long to control our out of control circumstances, but we can’t. Only You can. Only You can supply the peace we crave. Help us to seek You through all the storms of life. Help us to trust You with all our trials. Grant us Your peace, and equip us to be peacemakers in this world that is filled with war and hate. May we become beacons of light that show the world the way to Your loving arms. Lord, let there be peace on earth, and let it begin with us.
In the Powerful Name of Jesus, we pray,
Amen
Blessings,
Anita
*Excerpts from “Rough Places Smooth: Moments In A Journey Through Blindness,” now available on Amazon.
© 2022 by Anita Peden Sherer
All Rights Reserved.
-APS 9/11/2023
Faith Beyond Sight 