11“I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.John 10

The year was 2001. The date was September 11th. Most of us remember where we were and what we were doing the moment when the first plane slammed into the world trade towers. Most of us were probably en route to work, listening to our radio as we drove. There were the school teachers learning the news from their principal and then wondering how they were going to keep this news quiet until they got some direction of how to address it with their class.


I remember driving down highway 610 when the national network broke into the local network with the sullen news of the plane. At first, the newscasters thought it was a small Cessna plane that had crashed into the tower until a much bigger commercial plane barrelled into the second tower.


There was no way of getting away from the images of the people trapped in those towers as they waved flags hoping someone would rescue them. Then there were the images of pairs of people jumping out of the window to their sudden death. Some of them rationalized that they would rather freefall than burn to death. People of all nationalities worked in those two towers with many of them dying in the process. There was the image of New York's police and firefighters running into the burning building as workers ran out of the building.


The memory of that day became permanently etched in my mind, as though it was a continuously running video. Trauma has a way of impacting us this way- like a never-ending video clip of the tragic death. American's are not very good at coping with their grief. Most would rather bury their pain 9 feet under with hopes the grief would not rear their ugly head.


Unfortunately, trauma doesn't stay buried for it pops up in flashbacks, triggers, and nightmares. The only realistic way of dealing with trauma is to find a trusted listener to share your story over and over again until the traumatizing effects are minimized. I remember after my loss I made an appointment with a clinical psychologist who specialized in trauma. He was able to help me get through the initial shock of my loss. He encouraged me to keep a daily journal to write down all of the horrifying emotions I was experiencing in the days, weeks, and months after my loss. This doctor was the first to remind me that this journey I'm on will take years, not weeks to recover. I made another decision- one that impacted my family in the long run. It was the decision to place one foot in front of the other and worship my Savior and Lord each and every sabbath.


Every one of us has a September 11th moment when we are hit with the triggers of a loss of a loved one. God reminds us that he sent His son Jesus to walk with you on this journey for as long as it takes to complete it.


If you are experiencing a tragedy, I encourage you to find a grief share group near you. https://griefshare.org


You will be glad you did.