Jessica Sachs... only 23 years old... a bright future ahead... a deep love of God... a commitment to family... died 10 years ago today on American Flight 11. Jessica was a close friend of mine in high school. We were in several classes together, but our friendship really grew while we competed on John Marshall's Speech Team. A friendship that began as merely encouraging each other to win, quickly became a friendship sharing our faith, sharing hopes and dreams, sharing our failures and our successes.
As if the tragedy and horror surrounding September 11th wasn't enough grief to bear... having someone's life cut short that you've personally shared laughs, hugs, and tears, was unbearable. And then two days later, by Great Aunt Gertie died. Nearly every week while I was in college, she wrote me words of encouragement to "press on" during nursing school and she usually sent me a dollar or two to "buy gum, a pop, or some candy." She was an incredible woman full of life, love and a lot of crazy. (Crazy in a good way!) I admired her and while she lived so far away, she was my "kindred spirit."
At the time, I questioned God... why couldn't He prevent the terrorists? Why did Great Aunt Gertie have to die? Then I felt guilty... why wasn't I better about keeping in touch? Why didn't I tell them I loved them one more time? Then the anger... I wrote to Jessica's parents... they expressed their grief... their questions...their anger... their HOPE and their PEACE... I wrote to comfort them, but instead her parents ministered to me and reminded me of hope.
God knows the number of our days. God holds our life in the palm of His hands. This attack was no surprise to God. God didn't cut Jessica's life short... He knew His plan for her. Our life on earth is temporary, but we have hope of eternal life. A life of no evil, no terrorists, no bombings, no death. I'm so thankful for that hope in Christ... hope of a life spent in God's loving arms... hope of hugging my dear friend and my Great Aunt Gertie once again in heaven. Remembering you today...