I sat down this morning and started writing about the 9/11, as many bloggers did.  I talked about the pain, confusion, fear, and anger that raced through most all Americans. 

I wrote a lot of words on the page – some of them were pretty good words, too.  Like raging anger and crumbling hope, but I deleted them. 

All those words – gone.

I was trying to fit the mold of what I thought I should write on 9/11.  That’s not me.  God hasn’t wired me that way.  So, here’s take two.

The date 9/11 still makes me shiver – with fear?  anger?  Probably a little of both. 

  If I asked the question “Where were you on  September 11, 2001?”  I have no doubt that you could tell me exactly what you were doing when you heard the news.

  We all remember watching those images –  the burning towers, the crashed planes, the faces filled with fear and disbelief.  Do you remember the sounds?  The crashing towers and the screams of the people?   

Do we remember where we were in the days and weeks that followed September 11, 2001?

Do you remember watching the brave souls – warriors – crawl over the rubble in an effort to find just one living soul?

I remember watching the hope for survivors turn to a reverence for the lost.  I remember the cross – so beautiful and so filled with hope – true hope, which only comes from God — rising up out of the rubble. 

I remember the flag planted at the top of piles crumpled metal, shattered bits of two buildings and the shattered bits of the lives of those lost. 

A cross and a flag — the symbols of hope for our nation.   

This hope was what held us together in the days after the attacks. This hope that God was still in control and the He would sustain us.  We watched Congress stand on the steps of the Capitol and sing God Bless America.  I think they meant it.  At least at the time.  I would like to ask that same group if they still want the blessings of God on America.  I wonder what they would say. 

I can just hear it.  “Of course, we want the blessings of God but let’s not forget the  blessings of Buddha, Allah, the Hindu gods, the gods of the forest, the gods of all of nature, and of course, the unspoken gods.”   Let’s not forget the need to be politically correct. 

I remember the churches were filled with people on September 12^th and the Sundays that followed.  People dedicated their lives to Christ and began on a new road.

Our American hearts turned back to our roots – the faith on which this great nation was founded.  Faith.  Hebrews 11:1 states: Now faith is the reality of what is hoped for, the proof of what is not seen. 

Faith – the proof of what is not seen. Faith is how we live.  It’s a choice that we make –daily. 

In Luke 9:23 Jesus said “If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me.”

Today the churches are emptier than ever.  Where did everyone go?  I wonder.  Did they get tired of taking up that daily cross?  Or maybe it was the denying self part.  I know I struggle with that one – a lot.

In the days following 9/11 we operated on emotions – anger, fear. and sadness.  I pray that we move forward on Hope – not that wishful kind of hope, but the hope that only comes from God. 

According to His great mercy, He has given us a new birth into a living hope, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead and into an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted and unfading for you, who are being protected by God’s power through faith for a salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.   1 Peter 1:3-5

Look at this - - a living hope!  That’s what we have through Jesus.  Amazing.  Not just hope, but a living hope.  Not just hope in a flag - but a living hope.

And take another look at the inheritance – that means it’s ours.  We have an inheritance that is imperishable, uncorrupted and unfading.  That’s my inheritance and yours. 

My inheritance is in Christ.  My faith is in Him. 

Today is 9/11/2008 – the seventh anniversary of a day that changed so many lives.  A day that is still changing lives.  Where were  you  in the days that followed 9/11 – did you cling to God?  Are you still clinging?  If not, why not?

You have a living hope – in Christ.  Claim it.

First, let me say that viewing your picture are 800% is not the smartest thing one can do.  In fact, it’s right up there in the stupid area.

I got my pictures back just a couple of days ago and I immediately load those babies up and start viewing.  Some were okay — 5 our of 91 were okay.  But that’s my opinion and did I mention that I hate getting my picture made.  I would rather be poked in the eye with a stick, at least then there would be a reason my eyes were squinty.

I looked at the pictures as thumbnails at first and then I this brillant thought — oh, let’s just Photoshop and I opened them up and used the zoom feature.  For those of you unfamiliar, Photoshop zooms up to on gijillion percent. 

I stuck with only 800 percent — that was scary enough.  I figured anything above that was just more than my psyche could handle.

At 800% skin looks like pitted dried beef jerky

At 800% eyes look saggy

At 800 % wrinkles are prominent

And then it occurred to me — who in their right mind can see anything at 800%!  How stupid is this.  I just pulled those pictures back to the 25% and went on looking.

Here are a few: 

I love the one where I’m falling off the stool — and that’s the stool underneath the jacket and not all booty.  Don’t you love the casual (staged) pic of me on the sofa — yep, that’s my house and I always leave the price tags hanging on my pictures.  Nope.  This is the beautiful interior decorators place where we took a few pictures.  But that’s my wall color! 

So, there are a few of the 91 — and trust me you don’t want to see all 91. It’s not fun. 

As I looked at these with that 800% zoom, I thought about how easy it is for us to find our physical faults, but we don’t use that same lens to look at our spiritual life. 

I wonder how that would look if I zoomed it up 800%?

I don’t angst over the skipped prayer time or worry that people will notice that I’m not obeying God in a specific area of my life.  Nope.  But I worry that people will notice the wrinkles at the edge of my eyes or my double chin.

It was eye-opening.  As much as I want to not care how I look (within reason) and focus my energy on my walk with the Lord, I don’t.  I do care about having a double chin and wrinkles at the edges of my eyes. But I also care about my walk with Jesus and I want the first thing people to see when they see me is my walk with Him.  How do I make that happen?  How do I show how amazing my Lord is? 

I can’t do it with a picture of me, well, there is the idea of wearing a sign but that’s strange. 

I can do it with my life.  I can do it with my words.  I can do it with my attitude.  I can do it because the strength of Christ is within me. 

For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment. 2 Timothy 1:7

I love this promise!  God has given each of us a spirit of power, love and sound judgment.  So, I’m going to hold on to that and focus on what’s happening in my spiritual life and not worry about what’s happening across my face.  Okay, I’m going to TRY not worry about the whole face thing.

I can’t stand high horses, so why do I consistently climb up on mine? Maybe I just like the view? Who knows.

My latest high horse adventure was just the other day when a dear girlfriend mentioned she’d run into a mutual friend – we’ll call him J. And J’s not just any mutual friend, but one who’d been at the center of a church scandal. I won’t go into details, but J left the ministry over this.

When my girlfriend told me about running into J and how they’d talked, I huffed (as you can only do when you’re up on that high horse) and reminded her of all his failures. She went on to tell me about what was happening in J’s life and I huffed again and said “can’t believe you’re so gracious after everything that happened.” And then she said “well, I’m not one to judge after all we’ve been through.”

WHAMO! that hit me right between the eyes. My girlfriend was quick to say “not that you’re being judgmental.” But I was being judgmental, she was just being kind I was right up on top of my high horse thinking that because J’s sin was on display for all to see and hear and talk about that made him worse than me. It doesn’t. It just makes him a better target.

I don’t know J’s heart, but I sure know mine. I was acting proud and arrogant. I was thinking that deadly thought “Lord, at least I’m not as bad as J (or K or L or whatever letter your person is.)” I was full of pride and ego, I was minimizing my sins and maximizing the sins of others. Sin is sin. And I’m definitely not one to judge anyone – kind of like the pot calling the kettle black.

All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23

All have sinned – that includes me why up here on my high horse. The Lord used the humble heart of my girlfriend to speak volumes to my spirit. I’ve prayed for a humble spirit and I’ve asked the Lord to make me realize when I’m being proud. He did.

Over the last many months, I’ve claimed several verses and worked to apply them to my life. One of these is

Humble yourself before the Lord and He will lift you up.

James 4:10

This past year has been a blast –it’s been one amazing adventure with the Lord and it comes on the heels of one of the most difficult times I’ve experienced in my Christian life. I’m just humbled that the Lord has blessed me in so very many ways and He just continues to do so while I’m acting all self –righteous up on that high horse.

Why is it so very easy to see the sins of others and not the ones that I commit? Believe it’s a full time job just asking for forgiveness from all of my mistakes – and I’ve made some big ones!

So for now, I’ll stay off the high horse and work on humbling myself before the Lord. He’s my joy and my strength. And when J comes to mind again (or up in conversation), I’ll remember to pray for him – and pray that the Lord is as gracious to him as he has been to me.

And I hope to put that high horse out to pasture — for good.