What were you doing?

This is a repost from last year.  I pray for those who lost loved ones on this day 9 years ago. 

Today is the 8th anniversary of a very sad day. There are not many days that I can recall exactly what I was doing at the time. This is one of them. It still plays like a movie in my head.

My husband had convinced me to take a day trip to Chicago with him. He had a business convention to attend. I was resistant. I had never left my two little ones, ages 2 and 4 at the time. Sure, they had been left with babysitters for a short time on occasion. However, the thought of going out-of-state without them was unsettling.

My husband thought I was being silly and it gave him more reason that I should get away. He went through a variety of scenarios to convince me. "Really, Heidi. What could possibly happen? It is still driving distance...if there is an issue with our flight I can just rent a car and drive us home." Still I was resistant. "What do you think will happen? Terrorists on the plane?" Yes. He really said this.

I reluctantly agreed to go. I knew not going was going to be an issue between us. I couldn't put my finger on why I was so uneasy. On the take-off, I cried. I couldn't explain it. Something just didn't feel right. My husband thought I was nuts, an overworked mom who has been around her kids too much.

His perception changed once we landed and arrived at the convention center in downtown Chicago shortly after landing. We arrived just in time to see a crowd around a TV in the lobby area and watched the second plane hit. I can only imagine the look I flashed my husband. At that point, no one knew all the details, just that the World Trade Center had been hit. My husband pulled me away and tried to get my mind off of it. It didn't take long for him to get concerned too. As soon we heard the Pentagon was hit, he agreed to head back to the airport.

By that time, we couldn't even get on the airport grounds. Everything was shut down. We had the taxi take us to a car rental place. There were no cars available. Anywhere. Hotels were completely booked. A state of panic was starting to loom over the city as we listened to travelers try to contact loved ones. We had not planned to stay in the city long and we were completely unprepared. Our cell phone wasn't fully charged and we had little cash. We ended up sitting in a hotel lobby glued to the television, trying to speculate if there was more to come. I was not at all comfortable being in a large city, with no resources on us, in a time of national emergency.

We eventually made contact with someone that agreed to drive the 5 hours to come pick us up. The first thing I did when I got home was give my two little ones a big hug. It took me a long time before I was able to leave them again and it wasn't until last summer that we were ever separated by states.

What a sad day for our country. I can only imagine the horrors of those in the immediate area and those that lost loved ones. Still, it is a day vivid in my memory.

Later my husband understood better why I was resistant and the power of a sixth sense in moms. I had no logical explanation for how I knew something wasn't right. I also had a sense that no one in my family would be harmed. It was warning and reassurance all at once. That day taught me to trust my intuition. It taught my husband to trust my intuition. More importantly, I learned that my faith will get me through times of uncertainty. And there is no question that there are uncertain times ahead. Praise God for the certainty of Salvation!