By Jennifer Bright
“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord…” Jeremiah 29:11(ESV)
Where were you on September 11, 2001?
We all remember where we were when we first heard the news of the planes crashing into the Twin Towers on September 11, 2001; the first pictures we saw that day of the destruction and devastation as nearly three thousand lives were lost.
These types of events (terrorist attacks, pandemics, recessions, assassination attempts on a president, etc.) change us. The world around us changes.
We see the wickedness of sin; the heinous acts against others bring sorrow to our souls. Where was I that fateful morning? What lasting impacts did that day have on my family?
Packing for a New Home
We were boxing up all our earthly belongings and moving halfway around the world to serve the Lord in Samara, Russia. The movers were at our house packing and loading the truck with our many boxes to be shipped to our new home. We were waiting for a friend to pick up our daughter that morning to watch her for the day. She called us to let us know she was running late because of the breaking news events of that day. What news? What events of the day? We rushed to unpack a small radio to listen to what had happened that morning.
The Heinous Act of Terror
Seeing pictures on the news that night of the destruction in New York City, Washington DC, and Pennsylvania was overwhelming! How could such a heinous act happen? Why?
“‘Islamists’ see Islam as a guiding ideology for politics and the organization of society. That is, they believe that strict adherence to religious law should be the sole basis for a country’s law, as well as its cultural and social life…Islamist extremists believe violence is acceptable to achieve these ends.”1
These Islamist terrorists planned this attack for some time. Using violence to fulfill their mission, to cripple the US.
Trusting God with Our Future
What would we do now? Would we still be moving to Russia? Would we be able to leave the US? Our flight was scheduled for September 17. All the airports were shut down, and no planes were allowed to fly over US airspace. Our friends were set to see us off at the airport, but was that still an option?
As we continued to prepare to fly out the following Monday morning, we prayed and trusted God for our future. We were in a waiting pattern. We finally heard on Saturday that the airports would open on Monday, and our flight was one of the first to depart from Los Angeles. We said our goodbyes in the church parking lot and headed to the airport twelve hours before our flight was set to leave. Only ticketed passengers were allowed at the airport with all the extra security measures. So, the farewell we had hoped for at the airport did not happen. Since 9/11, only ticketed passengers can go to the gate; there are many new security measures at the airports for “our protection” due to 9/11.
God’s Plan is Best
Before we left for Russia, there were many questions and uncertainties about the future. But God knew and still knows what is best for us today; He is conforming us into the image of His Son, Jesus, and sanctifying us each day through His word, other people, and circumstances in our lives (Romans 8:28). We are reminded in James 1:2 that we will have trials; it is not ‘if’ we will have trials, but ‘when.’
God opened the door for many years of ministry in Russia, allowing us to link arms with the Russian believers to share the gospel, train pastors, and support the churches. What Satan may have tried to thwart through sinful men, God’s plan is never thwarted! He is always victorious!
Continue reading an uplifting spiritual blog. This one was written by Jennifer’s husband, Paul.
Jennifer Bright is the Communication Manager for Research and Quality Assurance for Classical Conversations®. Jennifer’s passions are classical Christian education and discipling the next generation to live for Christ. She supports homeschool families by tutoring their students with the classical tools of learning. Jennifer and her husband began their homeschool journey almost 20 years ago in Russia while serving as missionaries, and currently, they reside in Covington, Louisiana.
- “9/11 FAQS.” 9/11 Memorial & Museum. Accessed on 8/25/2024. https://www.911memorial.org/911-faqs ↩︎