Life>Loss

Today marks the 12th anniversary of 9/11.
I was only five when it happened. Since I was so young, I really had no clue what was going on. And until a few years ago, I never really stopped to think about the reality of that day. Oh, I can't even imagine...pacing in front of the television, knowing your loved one was trapped inside the burning buildings...being caged inside a prison made of metal and fire, knowing you had only minutes to live...running into the flames in order to save a stranger's life, all the while risking your own.
Nearly 3,000 people died that day. 3,000. Do you know how big that number is? Do you know what that number looks like?

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That makes me dizzy and overwhelmed just looking at it.
Each of those lines represents an irreplaceable human life lost in the 9/11 attacks. Even with it laid right out in front of me, I still can't understand the enormity of it.

Please don't stop reading after what I say next, because I am in no way trying to make light of what happened on that day. Our country and our people have still not recovered. 3,000 families are missing members- missing pieces of their hearts. There is no way to measure the value of those precious lives lost.

But more than 3,000 babies die from abortion...every day.
I look at those tally marks and I just don't understand the enormity of the potential and the love and the life that we have lost...just today. And add that to the the 3,000 yesterday...and the day before that...and the day before that.
And I don't understand why no one seems to care.
If, every day, 3,000 children were being stolen out of their homes and brutally murdered, our government would not stop until the perpetrators were caught.
The reality is that 3,000 children are being taken out of what should be the safest place on earth- their mother's wombs- and being murdered in the most barbaric ways possible.
And I don't understand why we don't all see the injustice. Why we aren't all fighting against this. Why we expect God to keep blessing us when we stand by and allow this crime to continue.

And, no, I don't think my viewpoint means I'm being intolerant, hateful, or close-minded. I'm being real.
If you have read any of my other posts, then I hope you have seen that what I believe to be the solution to the abortion problem is not judgment, but compassion.
I not only want these babies to have life; I also want these women to experience the best lives they can.  Abortion doesn't bring life, freedom, happiness, or anything else they promise you.
It only brings consequences.

Like to the 3,000 families today, who, whether they realize it or not, are now missing members who could have been a piece of their hearts.
To the mamas they will never wrap their arms around.
To the daddies who will never hold their hands.
To the grandmas who will never feel their hugs.
To the grandpas who will never get to spoil them.
To the siblings they will never play with.
To the teachers who will never see their smiles.
To the communities they would have served.
To the people they would have loved.

And my heart aches for them-and for all that we have lost.

Because the loss of each of those lives affected someone. I think of the quote by John Donne that says, "No man is an island." Our lives create a ripple effect. Our lives are changing the world around us, oftentimes without our even realizing it.

I have been saddened to hear of several suicides and other deaths over the past couple of weeks. And I am amazed at the number of people each of their lives impacted. You are making a difference, whether you realize it or not.

Your family would not be the same without you.
Your friends would not be the same without you.
Your classes would not be the same without you.
Your students would not be the same without you.
Your team would not be the same without you.
Your workplace would not be the same without you.
Your church would not be the same without you.
Your neighborhood would not be the same without you.
Your community would not be the same without you.
Your city would not be the same without you.
Your county would not be the same without you.
Your state would not be the same without you.
Your country would not be the same without you.
Your world would not be the same without you.

Your. Life. Matters.

Not because of anything you've done.
Not because of anything you're doing.
Not because of anything you will do.
But simply because you are.
You're here for a reason.
You exist because God wants you to.
You're alive because He's not finished with you yet.

There's this quote on Pinterest that I love:
"Place your hand over your heart. Feel that? That's called purpose. You're alive for a reason. Don't forget it."
 

In life, there will be loss. It's inevitable. It's overwhelming. It's terrifying.
But there is also a God Who is greater than your greatest loss.
By the grace of God, I have not yet experienced the death of someone that I am very close to. So I am in no way claiming to be an expert on this topic. But I've heard the testimonies of those that have experienced great loss. I've heard the way God has used their heartbreak to bring about His glory.  
And I know that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt. Even though I have never walked through that kind of pain, I know it hurts. I know there are times when you feel as if you can't even take another breath because the pain is so real, so deep.

But I'm also incredibly grateful that, in the midst of loss, there is this beautiful gift of life that God has given to each one of us.
I don't want to take it for granted...it could be taken away in an instant.
When the world went to sleep on the evening of September 10, 2001, they had no idea that the next morning would turn their worlds upside down.
As you go to bed tonight, you have no idea what tomorrow morning will hold. You have no idea what the next few hours might hold.

So go ahead.

Throw open your windows and breathe in the fresh air.
Feel the grass beneath your toes, close your eyes, and let the wind blow through your hair.
Go dance in the rain.
Turn up the music as loud as it will go.
Dance your heart out.
Throw your head back and laugh.
Don't be afraid to cry.
Sing as loudly as you want to.
Stay up all night laughing with your friends.
Curl up with your coffee and your book.
Kiss your wife.
Encourage your husband.
Spend time with your kids.
Serve in your church.
Give to those in need.
Pursue your God-given passion.
Pour your heart into everything you do.
Love people and love Jesus.

Because these are the things life is made of.