Wow it has been awhile. As described by Wikipedia,

The September 11 attacks (often referred to as September 11th or 9/11) were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and many others working in the buildings. Both buildings collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Pennsylvania after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D.C. There were no survivors from any of the flights.

The death toll of the attacks was 2,996, including the 19 hijackers.

This was probably the most memorable event of this generation. Where were you? What were you doing when you first heard? It is one of those events that folks remember details about. First the news, then the reality of it. It was one of those events that seemed to go on and on and get progressively worse as the day, then days, then weeks went by. It left a permanent scar on our country. And folks reached for God. It is said that churches everywhere had an increase.

The big question is, why were they reaching for God, was it for security? Love? Because of a sense of their own mortality? When we are down or hurt or desperate we tend to reach for Him. Then when things are ok folks tend to forget. So, why do you think He allows bad things to happen? Now I know that will rattle some folks and I will likely get some bad mail. For those folks my question is, if God is not in control then who is? And if you are saying satan, then my question is, who made satan and who controls him? And if you are not saying that God is sovereign and in control of all things ultimately then you are claiming to be an un-believer. Because a believer is one who believes. And if you don’t think I am telling the truth then read your bible, cause it is all in there.

So why would a loving God allow such a thing? Because His love for us is bigger than we can fathom. Our understanding is like one drop of water in a huge ocean. He knows what is ultimately the best for us. And when we can come to agreement with that one fact, there is hope. That is where faith begins. We will never have all the answers. But it should be enough to know that He does. Ultimately all circumstances will bring us to Him. It is our choice how we respond. And that choice determines the outcome. Will we go to the top of the mountain, or will we continue to circle and circle?

You don’t have to wait for tragedy to strike to make the right choice. He is waiting with open arms.