West Cocoa Chat

I pulled my post from last night to reflect on the events of 5 years ago. I was working on my weekly plans in my room as I was on a planning period. My next-door neighbor opened my door and told me to turn on my T.V. I turned it on just in time to see the second plane fly into the WTC. I think I was in sensory overload shock as my mind tried to comprehend what had just happened as well as all of it’s implications.

I knew one of the implications was going to affect my good friend Ray, (and now fellow elder) a full time Sgt. Major in the Florida National Guard. He would later leave his family to spend almost year defending this country and our freedom, fighting the Taliban and hunting for Osama Bin Laden in Afghanistan.

What I really remember about that day was the afternoon. My son was in 6th grade at the time and playing on the Pop Warner Football team that I was helping to coach. As we gathered for practice one of the parents asked us if we heard “that noise?” I remarked that I couldn’t hear anything and she pointed out that was what she was referring to in her question. Then it all became clear. Living near the Space Center and Patrick Air Force Base, we were accustom to hearing jets, planes, and helicopters in the air. There was an eerie silence as all aircraft were grounded as a result of the terrorists attack on our country. I'm glad our country didn't stay silent as we responded to the terrorists attacks on our country. As Christians, we must not remain silent as well as we have a message of hope and salvation that can see us even through the worst of times.

Don’t forget to remember the men and women who died that day in New York City, the Pentagon, and on the brave flight that crashed in Pennsylvania. May God bless America.