July 7 – What will you remember about this day?
There are many dates that we remember. Some personal dates we remember as positive: your birthday, your anniversary, your kid’s birthday, family member’s birthdays. Some personal dates we remember as negative: a friend’s death, your grandparents passing, the loss of your parents. There are also dates that will forever live in infamy: The bombing of Pearl Harbor (Dec. 7), D-Day (June 6), Man walks on the moon (July 20), World Trade Center’s Collapsed (Sept. 11).
Certain dates have a way of taking us back to a time and place. If we experienced it than most likely we can relive the moment over and over in our mind. The mind is a very powerful tool. However, most of us will never know how to use our minds to the best of their ability. We will waste away this wonderful gift that good Lord has given us. We will clutter it with junk rather than feed it with the knowledge that can help advance ourselves and our civilization.
This brings me to today. What will you remember about July 7th? Of all the years you have been alive and all the history classes you have struggled through. What about July 7th will stick in your mind?
The one that comes to my mind is July 7, 2005. The bombings in London in which forty-eight innocent people were killed. Seven hundred injured. A terrorist attack in the Underground Trains system in London. A city that could be any major city in the U.S. Regular people heading to work or heading to play. Someone heading home to see family or meet the potential love of their life. All of those hopes, dreams and aspirations wiped away by some maniacal Islamic radicals.
I understand that this happened thousands of miles away. I realize that most of us were not directly affected by these bombings. I can grasp the fact that it is easier for us to go about our daily lives and not remember the exact moment. However, how many of you watched the Michael Jackson Memorial Service? Do you know the day he died?
I will admit that the passing of Michael Jackson is fairly important concerning his status as a pop culture icon. However, it is not worthy of twenty four/seven coverage on every channel. It should not be a two week ordeal that enthralls the world. While we sit here and oogle over our televisions and computers, men and women are dying to protect us and we do not bat an eye when (and if) we hear that one of them has been killed. To top that off, they were killed fighting to keep us and others safe. MJ overdosed on drugs trying to keep himself in some kind of right state. Purely sacrificial versus Purely Self-Absorbent.
So as you remember this day and others that mark important life events. Remember to keep your priorities straight. Care more about the important things in your life, the things that matter.
One last thought before I go. What if the world focused this much attention on Jesus and his word?
Until next time.
I will remember today as one that brought me no sleep and for reasons that have nothing to do with politics, Michael Jackson or anything you have written about but because of thinking about my child going into surgery tomorrow, a fairly simple surgery but important all the same. I have prayed a lot tonight and I feel that I have been led to let you and your readers know something that has to do with what you wrote about this daughter and her sister. All that you wrote was true since they are the ones who gave you the facts but I disagree with the conclusion you came to – our Lord did not make one sick to heal the other. I don’t feel our Lord to be that cruel because that would have been cruel and unusual punishment for the youngest as she was sicker than anything you wrote could show. It all happened about the same time, I know as I was there right in the middle of it all. I had to give both of my girls over to God to heal and I will be thankful every day of my life that he did. I feel very led by God to say this and have prayed over it for several hours and wondered if I should just let sleeping dogs lie. That is not what I was supposed to do, this is. I love you Keith, have watched you grow up and know you to be a devout christian, a good man and a very good father. I just think you tried to hard to find a reason where there was not one. One child got sick, maybe because we live too close to an old illegal chemical dumping ground and one let the devil in and he took over for a while and it all happened at the same time. Prayer, lots of it, wonderful doctors who used all of their God given skills and her faith saved one. Prayer, again lots of it, the desire to not be at rock bottom any longer, the right people at the right time and her acceptance of the Lord saved the other. Neither girl was actually concerned with the other at that time because each had her own fight to fight and with the Lord’s help they both came out winners. This is the way it was, I know with all of my faith that this is what the Lord wants me to say.