story293.xml

story293.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-03-21

On the morning of September 11 I was getting ready for the inaguration of our new University President, Dr. Craig Turner. I was in the process of getting dressed wanted to know how cold it was outside so I went out to the lobby of my dorm and once in the lobby I noticed a bunch of people gathered around the T.V. area. I walked over and immediately was just as mesmerized and shocked as the others that were standing there. I looked at the tv just in time to see the World Trade Center crumble to the ground after a plane crashed into the side of it. I stood there for a few minutes and waited until it moved the camera angles to the ground and brushed it off and went back to my room. I finished getting dressed and went to the inauguration only to discover that one of my friends was not there because she was sure that her dad had been on that plane and was trying to find out for sure if he was or not. No one noticed because she slipped in the back during the middle of the ceremony but afterwards I saw her and she told me, with great relief, that her dad had not been on that plane.
I went back to my dorm and began watching the whole thing on television and only after a news announcement did I remember my brother. My older brother is in the Army and is in Intelligence. I knew he would be fine and not directly affected but I still wanted to hear that he was okay. I called him right then but he wasn't in so I left him a message to call me ASAP! After I hung up I dialed my best friend, Tom's number, who is in the Marines Special Forces, and didn't get a response from him either. I then remembered that he was supposed to leave for Italy that day. I called his parents at his home and didn't get an answer there either. I left a message for them to call me back ASAP.
I finally decided to call my parents and see how they were doing. After talking to my mom I felt better, but I started crying. I finally began praying, which is what I should have done in the first place. I poured my heart out to God telling him that even though I didn't understand what was going on I knew it had to be a part of His perfect plan and that everything was going to work out for His glory. I continued praying as I began reading my Bible. I remembered a song that had been playing earlier that morning as I had been getting dressed. "God is in Control" by Twila Paris. I thought back to the words and realized that it was so true. Later that night I got two phone calls. One from my brother and one from Tom's parents. Both brother and Tom were absolutely fine and completely safe. God really is in Control!