A 9/11 Miracle

They say that my children will ask me where I was on September 11, 2001. They will learn about it in school in history class. They will want to know, what I remember and what I felt. They will ask me questions about what I saw and how it changed the course of American History. But beyond the facts and beyond my own feelings, beyond it all I hope that I will be able to share a story to my future children that a will show a miracle happen that day. That caused a 17 year old faith grow 10x in size and was able to see that God was still in control even when it felt the world had fallen apart.

It was about 5:30am when I woke up and was getting ready for work. Cause of the hour I didn’t normal turn on the radio, but for some reason I did. As the DJ was talking, all of a sudden someone came into the station and handed him something to read. He did not have time to read it but announce it. You could hear his voice go in shock and crack as he tried to compose himself as he announces the news. One of the Twin Towers had been hit in New York City, it was uncertain if it was a bomb or not. At that moment, it seemed the world stood still.

I worked at a bagel shop, as my morning progressed we received the latest news from costumers. That the Pentagon had been hit, then there was something in Pennsylvania, then we realize after the 2nd Tower was hit that it was planes. No one felt safe, and the confusion of trying to figure out what happen hit us all. But my coworker, Frank would nearly shake every time we heard more news.

Frank was an interesting character; he was a guy that was in your face kind of guy. He worked 3 different jobs, including working at a Hunted House. Nothing bother him and hadn’t been for me stepping in, he would have had a few screaming matches with the customers. But today, well that day it was different. He was worried; he checked his phone several times a minute. I thought the news had gotten to him but I had no idea.

“Honey, Honey it’s going to be ok. Don’t worry. Just be patient, everything is mess right now.” I had walk out back to do something when I overheard the conversation. Frank was on the phone and he didn’t see me. Back behind the counter I asked him, he hesitated but he told me.

“My girlfriend’s father called us early this morning. Left a message on our voicemail, he said. ‘Baby Girl, I’m on my way to the Trade Center to help out. I’ll be ok. I love you.’” Frank shared the story, “He is a New Jersey Fireman.” At that moment, someone walk in and told us the World Trade Center had collapsed.

“Frank,” I said, “I know a God that knows where your girlfriend’s dad is at this moment. And I know that He will protect him and keep him safe.

“How do you know that your God will protect him? Where is God today?”, Frank yelled hysterically at me.

“I don’t understand why this is happening but I have a God that bigger than the World Trade Centers. And God is in control. And God will keep him safe. I will be praying for him” I said calmly back. I had no idea where I had the faith to say such words.

The devastation from that day was too much. We listen though out that day at the news, trying to piece together the news. As the day went on, the world felt so cold and the pain so strong. With all the news of the day, I had simply forgotten what I had said earlier but God didn’t.

“YOU!”, Frank yelled the moment I walk in the doors of work the next day. “YOU!” he yelled again pointing his figure at me. I stop in my track and was too startled to speak. He had yelled so loud the whole shop was staring. “I don’t know what you did! I… I… I don’t know what to say but you tell your God, Thank you!” he said fighting back tears.

Frank shared with me that all day his girlfriend had been calling. She called her father no answer, she called the fire station and they would say nothing. None of his dad’s friend’s family knew a thing. But finally very late at night, she got a call from her father, he was ok.

His unit had been call into NYC and had arrived just in time to watch the towers collapsing. They were on standby and were not called into Ground Zero till later. His unit was sent into the scene and asked to check local buildings and make sure they were clear. As they check Tower 7 once more, a rumbling happen the men began to run. He said that it made no sense why his unit got out safely. They should have been trapped, injured and even killed. Yet, no one was hurt.

When his story was done, we had a crowd standing there. People were crying, one big fireman that often came was standing there and said, he needs to go share this story with his unit. I stood there as he said it again. “I don’t know what to say, but you tell your God, Thank you!” then he grabbed me up into a big hug.

That day, I found hope again. So did a bagel shop full of people. We saw that God was still in control. We saw a glimmer of hope in a world of darkness. That a 17 year old girl, who had a little bit of faith, pray that a man she never knew that was her coworker’s girlfriend’s father would be kept safe. In fact you can see it in the history books; no one was injured or killed in the collapse of the 7th Tower.

So when my children ask me about that day, yes I will tell them where I was and how I felt. I will tell them about how I felt sick to my stomach and hardly ate. How in the days after change the course of history. That the way we travel was forever changed. But I will also be able to tell about that no matter how bleak, no matter how dark the world may seem and no matter how painful it may seem. There is a God that with a little bit of faith will be there for you. He will listen to your prayers and he will even reach out 3,000 miles away and protect a group of fireman from a crumbling building because a teenager proclaimed it in faith. Why? To show us a 9/11 Miracle.

God Bless the USA,

Jacqueline