MUSINGS

 

Mary and I lived in Mississippi on 9/11/2001, so we don’t share some of the

memories that many of you have regarding that terrible day. We were

working at a theatre that was struggling financially and had laid off most of

the staff. I remember Mary calling me about what was happening, and I

also remember my boss at the theatre calling to tell me to get to work and

stop worrying about something so far away. In the days that followed, we

struggled to find meaning, and we dealt with our own grief and fear.

 

But that’s different than what many of you lived through, losing friends and

family, helping with rescue and recovery efforts, comforting those who

struggled to continue their lives after such an unexplainable tragedy. As we

move towards the 25th anniversary of 9/11, I pray for all of the people who

are yet again having to relive their tragedy. We don’t want to forget, but it

can be hard to remember.

 

One thing I’ve learned over my lifetime is that there is no right way to live

through trauma. When we suffer personal traumas or lose someone close

to us, we all process that differently. Some people find comfort in sharing

grief, while others prefer to process things, at least initially, alone or with

God. Even years later, people can commemorate tragedy in greatly

different ways, with all of them doing it “the right way.”

 

If you need to talk to someone this week, please feel free to reach out to

me or others here at the church. If you need professional support, please

don’t fear asking for it. If you need something, but you don’t quite know

what, try reaching out to God in prayer. That may not cure all of your pain,

but God can help us when we suffer. If you feel like David in Psalm 6, “I

am worn out from my groaning,” remember also that later in the Psalm he

says, “The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.”

 

James Phillips

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