A Prayer for 9/11

Creator of us all. Nine years ago tonight, those of us who were alive at the time went to bed without any inkling of what the coming day held for any of us. We slept as we always did, got up the next morning and followed our morning routine which for many of us included listening to news on the radio or watching it on the news. When I first heard about a plane hitting the twin towers, the reporter said that small planes regularly hit tall buildings and that odds were, this was a small plane accident. It was but a short time later that I learned it was not a small plane and we all learned that we were under attack. Tears still fall, Lord, for those innocent people on the planes who knew in the last moments of their lives that they would indeed be the last moments of their lives. We know that You were there with each and every one of them every second. We know that Yours were the tears that fell the hardest that day because not only were those who are part of Your greatest creation harmed, but those who did the harming were part of that greatest creation as well. We are told in the Bible that it is Your desire that not one human ever spend eternity without You and I know that You mourn whenever any of us chooses in this life to spend eternity separated from You. How much You must have mourned that day and every day since.
Have we learned what we needed to learn since then, Father. I don't know. Many turned to You at that time. Many have turned away again since then. Help us all, dearest Father in Heaven who also is as close as breathing to us here on Earth. Help us to keep our focus on You and Your will. Help us to always, always remember that no matter how out of control and crazy the world may seem to be, You are still the one in control, not al Queda, not Obama, not Ahmadinejad, not Hamas, not the Tea Parties, not Glenn Beck or Rush Limbaugh and certainly not anyone reading this prayer. Help us to turn our mourning into action, our tears into blessings poured out on others as we even more boldly proclaim Your gospel to all the world, making disciples of all nations. May any tears we shed clear our vision so that we may see what it is You want us to do. May the knowledge of Your steadfast love and constant presence in our lives encourage and empower us to share that with others who are hungering to know You. Make us instruments of peace and love and truth throughout the world, arming ourselves and others with Your armor as we fight against the powers and principalities that would enslave and oppress us all. We ask all these things in the name and for the sake of the One who gave His life for us all, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Nancy