Titus 3:5
He saved us because
of his mercy,
and not because
of any good things
that we have done.
God washed us by the power
of the Holy Spirit.
He gave us new birth
and a fresh beginning.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
“That
which tears open our souls, those holes that splatter our sight, may
actually become the thin, open places to see through the mess of this
place to the heart-aching beauty beyond. To Him. To the God whom we
endlessly crave.” – Ann Voskamp ~ One Thousand Gifts*
Today,
we remember the horror and heartache of a tragic event that occurred
thirteen years ago. It’s probably safe to say that all of our lives were
altered forever in some way because of what happened in New York,
Pennsylvania, and Washington, DC, during those early morning hours of
September 11, 2001. Through a series of events that can only be
explained as a “God thing,” I became friends with a woman in Massapequa,
New York, whose husband, Keith Glascoe, perished that day while serving
as a firefighter for Ladder Co. 21 of the Fire Department New York
(FDNY). Veronica Glascoe Squef was the mother of two boys, 2-year-old
Nolan and 1-year-old Owen. Baby Keith was, as she puts it, “a little
peanut in my belly.” He would enter this world in April 2002.
If
you are old enough to remember “9-11”, you recall how incredibly
“dirty” everything was. Not only were lives lost...they were buried
beneath tons of dust and rubble. The bodies of many – including Keith
Glascoe - were never recovered. Rescue crews dug for days...cleanup
teams worked for months and years...and we all wondered if the area was
ever going to be “presentable” again. Would we ever “see through the
mess of this place” to heart-aching beauty beyond? Would we ever find
God in this tragedy? Would He be able to truly restore us and
decontaminate our hearts from this event?
Last week, Veronica
posted a photo of her boys on their first day back to school...Nolan now
a high school junior; Owen beginning high school as a freshman; and
Keith starting to middle school. All three boys are healthy, thriving,
and always smiling. Veronica posted a tribute to Keith on her Facebook
wall that said in part...” We love you, we miss you, we think of you
every day, and we will never forget.”
It is important that we
remember what happened...that we are vulnerable... and yes, that bad
things can – and will – happen. But more importantly, we must focus on
the incredible grace, mercy and cleansing power of God Almighty. We
must recognize His presence in the form of the Holy Spirit...guiding us
and “cleaning up the mess” so that we can see the beauty beyond –
because it does exist!
God did not leave us on September 11,
2001...He has not left us today. Whatever you are facing...wherever you
are “sifting through rubble and debris” and wondering if your life will
ever be neat and tidy again...know that God is with you. He is doing the
heavy lifting...the Holy Spirit can mend your broken heart and
strengthen you for the days to come...and the beauty of a brighter day
lies just beyond the “window” of your present struggle. Veronica Squef
and countless others understand the concept of “heart-aching beauty
beyond”. They face it every day in the smiles of children left
behind...of putting one foot in front of the other and rebuilding their
lives – different, but filled with potential.
What God does – and
has done – for those who suffer so much as a result of the events of
9-11, He will surely do for each of us. His desire is to wash away
whatever keeps us from a deep, abiding relationship with Him and a
continual communion with the Holy Spirit. It doesn’t matter who you
are...where you are...what you have – or don’t...or what you have or
haven’t done...God wants to do this for you. You may not realize it, but
God’s presence and grace may truly be “the very thing that you
endlessly crave.” Are you ready to find out? Will this be the day that
you turn to Him and begin to trust in His cleansing power? Don’t you
think it should?
©2014 Debbie Robus
Showing posts with label 9-11. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 9-11. Show all posts
Daily Devotional for September 11, 2013
Psalm 121:1-2
I look to the hills!
Where will I find help?
It will come from the Lord,
who created the heavens
and the earth.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We cannot ignore the historical significance of this day… and frankly, we must talk about it. Every year on this anniversary, people recall exactly where they were when the Twin Towers fell in New York City. Social media is filled today with photo montages and video tributes. We will all pause for today and feel sad and talk about where we were twelve years ago and how horrible this event was for so many.
But what we don’t ponder – at least for very long – is how the victims and their families have endured the ramifications of this tragedy every day for twelve years. We don’t stop to consider how Veronica Glascoe Squef, a mother of two with a third baby on the way, put one foot in front of the other… so that she dropped off boys for 10th, 8th, and 6th grades this week. She wrote a love note to her husband, Keith Glascoe (a NYC firefighter with Ladder Co. 21 who perished on 9-11) on her Facebook page that says in part…
I’ve told this story before, but it bears repeating… shortly after 9-11, I reached out to the families of the NYC firefighters in Ladder Company 21 who lost a loved one on that fateful day. A music minister in our community had visited New York with a touring choir a few weeks after the tragic event, and he returned with a list of names and addresses for firefighters from Ladder Co. 21 in the “Hell’s Kitchen” area of NYC. He suggested that we drop these families a note of sympathy and encouragement. I did this, and three families responded. Over the years, I lost touch with the family of William Krukowski; the correspondence became sparse with Ed and Alice Henry…parents to 25-year-old Joe, whose remains were never recovered. Ed was also a NYC firefighter, as were some of Joe’s brothers, uncles, and other family members.
To this day, I still correspond with Veronica Squef and keep up with her three boys… mostly via Facebook. I am continually impressed with how she has managed… how happy and vibrant the boys appear… how she shuttles them to football and baseball practices and games… takes them fishing and to other events in their area…and how she and the boys even travel to Argentina to visit her family. We have never had an in-depth conversation about her faith, but I’ve seen the countless posts on her Facebook page from others who are praying for Veronica and her boys – and I am among them.
I have to believe that Veronica is one of many directly affected by this tragedy who “look to the hills” for strength from the LORD on a daily basis. I also have to believe that they have made a conscious choice to allow God to help them get through this. How else could they survive it? Family and friends can offer a certain amount of encouragement and support… but Who makes the real difference? Who sends these “earthly angels”? Who fills in the gaps and does the supernatural things that are necessary to survive such an ordeal?
I pray that you and I never have to endure a tragedy and challenge of this magnitude. But let’s be honest… we are all faced with life-changing trials and events. We all have decisions to make… choices that can change the course of our life. And at the end of the day, we can choose to “look to the hills” and call on the LORD for strength, wisdom, courage, comfort and peace… or we can “wing it” and hope for the best. The latter is not an option for me…what about you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
I look to the hills!
Where will I find help?
It will come from the Lord,
who created the heavens
and the earth.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
We cannot ignore the historical significance of this day… and frankly, we must talk about it. Every year on this anniversary, people recall exactly where they were when the Twin Towers fell in New York City. Social media is filled today with photo montages and video tributes. We will all pause for today and feel sad and talk about where we were twelve years ago and how horrible this event was for so many.
But what we don’t ponder – at least for very long – is how the victims and their families have endured the ramifications of this tragedy every day for twelve years. We don’t stop to consider how Veronica Glascoe Squef, a mother of two with a third baby on the way, put one foot in front of the other… so that she dropped off boys for 10th, 8th, and 6th grades this week. She wrote a love note to her husband, Keith Glascoe (a NYC firefighter with Ladder Co. 21 who perished on 9-11) on her Facebook page that says in part…
“I can still remember 12 years ago the night before...you picking me up at Macy's from my part-time job... We went to bed with Owen still sleeping with us and Nolan was in his big boy bed. He would be 3 years old in a couple of weeks. He was ready - or we thought he was. That morning we woke up with Nolan and Owen in our bed.*lol* I will never forget that night, and I treasure it like it was yesterday. Just a reminder... never take anything for granted. Live and love today!!!”Most of us cannot relate… to Veronica and others whose spouses never came home…to boys and girls who went to school that morning and returned to find that one of their parents was gone forever. We have no clue what it must feel like to be the family member whose loved one’s remains have never been recovered.
I’ve told this story before, but it bears repeating… shortly after 9-11, I reached out to the families of the NYC firefighters in Ladder Company 21 who lost a loved one on that fateful day. A music minister in our community had visited New York with a touring choir a few weeks after the tragic event, and he returned with a list of names and addresses for firefighters from Ladder Co. 21 in the “Hell’s Kitchen” area of NYC. He suggested that we drop these families a note of sympathy and encouragement. I did this, and three families responded. Over the years, I lost touch with the family of William Krukowski; the correspondence became sparse with Ed and Alice Henry…parents to 25-year-old Joe, whose remains were never recovered. Ed was also a NYC firefighter, as were some of Joe’s brothers, uncles, and other family members.
To this day, I still correspond with Veronica Squef and keep up with her three boys… mostly via Facebook. I am continually impressed with how she has managed… how happy and vibrant the boys appear… how she shuttles them to football and baseball practices and games… takes them fishing and to other events in their area…and how she and the boys even travel to Argentina to visit her family. We have never had an in-depth conversation about her faith, but I’ve seen the countless posts on her Facebook page from others who are praying for Veronica and her boys – and I am among them.
I have to believe that Veronica is one of many directly affected by this tragedy who “look to the hills” for strength from the LORD on a daily basis. I also have to believe that they have made a conscious choice to allow God to help them get through this. How else could they survive it? Family and friends can offer a certain amount of encouragement and support… but Who makes the real difference? Who sends these “earthly angels”? Who fills in the gaps and does the supernatural things that are necessary to survive such an ordeal?
I pray that you and I never have to endure a tragedy and challenge of this magnitude. But let’s be honest… we are all faced with life-changing trials and events. We all have decisions to make… choices that can change the course of our life. And at the end of the day, we can choose to “look to the hills” and call on the LORD for strength, wisdom, courage, comfort and peace… or we can “wing it” and hope for the best. The latter is not an option for me…what about you?
©2013 Debbie Robus
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