By: Angela Gillaspie Copyright © September 2001

The first plane hit and set off pandemonium. Emergency personnel raced to the scene willing to lay down their lives so that others could live.

I don’t know how many of these rescuers had strong faith, but I wonder how someone could rush into a doomed building without a Good Friend in heaven? They never dreamed that the buildings would fall. To them, it was a rescue mission - get in, get the people, get out - except it turned out to be more.

Inside the buildings and planes, victims experienced terror and horror when they realized what was happening. Smoke filled the air and debris rained down - it was literally hell on earth. As the world looked on in shock, emergency personnel and just plain off-the-sidewalk folks worked together with determination, courage, and responsibility to save someone.

The people responsible for this horror were deceived maniacs who believed they’d get a higher spot in paradise and a greater love from their god if they killed innocents. The God I worship would never demand that His followers sacrifice lives for a coveted place in heaven. He told us how to get there.

Numerous Christians lost their lives that day, but I wonder how many others had a second chance to receive Christ?

Against the odds, our nation came together in a massive revival - and those beautiful words, "GOD BLESS AMERICA" echoed from millions of mouths. I saw overwhelming love and compassion in the aftershocks. People from all over the world gave time, sweat, money, blood, prayer, tears, food, and hugs to the victims - because it was the right thing to do.

God blessed America and He will continue to do so. He allowed many to survive and to tell the tale of His love. God is in control and He will never let us down. We are all survivors.

God will put help in our lives. It could be in the form of friends, doctors, or Bible and book passages. It could be counseling, or helpful books to read. It could be a well-timed phone call from a friend or an inspiring e-mail or card. God will send the help. Being open to using the help is a choice. When we ask for help it will be sent, but if we ask for someone else to carry our burden, that might not happen - it was already given to us to carry. It’s a challenge to recognize the help we request.

Through prayer, I believe we are able to see God’s assistance. Ask God to help you be aware of the help He sent.

When you feel weak, remember that having a weakness is OK - in your weakness, God’s power is perfect! For God so loved the world that He sent His only son. That doesn’t mean that God only loved the world back then in New Testament times, but the world - past, present, and future. There are no conditions or time restraints on God’s love!

Please don’t despair. The cause of the pain was evil, but the effect is just the opposite: evidence that there is hope amidst the ruins.

John 15:13 says, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

This is the same kind of love that God showed the world when He gave us His son!