artsy

artsy

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Joy comes in the morning





Today's September 11.



If I told you that 12 years ago, you'd probably look at me and say something along the lines of, "yeah silly, and yesterday was the 10th."



But in our country, today has become especially significant, and I don't think we'll ever look at today as just another day again.



Today I have seen so many statuses of people remembering where they were, and tweets stating things like "never forget" and it makes me really think about how diverse our country really is. Our country's citizens were forever changed by the tragedy of 11 years ago. They knew someone in the towers personally, or a friend who was working in the Pentagon. Others were residually affected through the media coverage and reactions of those around them.



For some, me included, I think this event caused them to stand back and see what our country's really made of. In that time of crisis our country put aside party lines and political agendas and came together as one nation to support the grieving and the sorrow fellow countrymen endured.



The reactions that are present in a time of uncertainty define us.



As a country we stood up to the injustice of terrorism with our military, yes, but we also stood up to it with our resilience. We didn't look at the rubble and wreckage and say "well we had a good run, but now we're finished." We consoled ourselves, picked each other back up, and began to rebuild.



So as I'm thinking about all this, I saw a good friend's status with this verse:



2 Corinthians 4:8,9 - We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.



Which in turn reminded me of this song we used to sing in youth group called "Trading My Sorrows." It's a great song, and one line stuck out to me. 



Though sorrow may last for the night
His joy comes with the morning



Regardless of religious belief, I think that is pretty meaningful in how our country reacted to what happened on September 11. We were hit hard, sucker-punched by others who were seeking power and attempted to find it through the terrorization of others. But like the verse states, I think our country's reaction and the continued remembrance today shows that we won't let power win. Our country's belief in democracy and freedom lives on because its citizens refused to be shut down by terror. 



September 11 may have been one of the darkest days in our country's history, but the mornings that came after brought joy. Joy that we could remain united. Joy that we could, albeit painfully, rebuild. Joy that democracy was not struck down. Joy that September 11 did not end us. Joy that we persevered until the morning.



Here's to September 12. 



USA! USA! USA!

~A