Don't wait. Live fully NOW.

I was thinking about this yesterday—on the 23rd anniversary of 9/11—what did we do in the days that followed? After the glaze from our eyes cleared and the picture of the twin towers falling to the ground had fully seared through our minds, how did we respond?
I remember going back into sixth grade and feeling changed. The air felt different; even though we were just children, it felt deeply important to realize we are not invincible, tragedy is real, life is a gift, and the darkness does exist. But in the days and months to come, it felt far more obvious that light always wins.
You could feel the graciousness of humanity lift its head and set aside grievances; tragedy has a way of clearing clutter and only making space for what matters.

Flash forward to this morning, I was holding Sledge and knew he was having an off morning. Feeling a little internally rushed due to what needed to be done today, I felt the spirit nudge me, “remember what you would’ve done 23 years and a day ago today.”
Imagining the desolation and smoldering images from that day, along with the heroes that stepped in, I held Sledge tighter. Longer. We prayed and we thanked God over and over and over again for this life.

How do we truly honor the lives lost, the families whose normal permanently changed, and those who continue to fight for our freedom, safety, and hope?
We live fully NOW. Here. We let grace rather than grievances determine our responses. We offer generosity to those who need it and joy to a starving world. We listen more than we speak and we help whenever possible. We imagine eternity and we let that instruct our view and our victory. We stand firm in truth because truth is the only way to a lasting foundation. We remember that tomorrow isn’t promised and that today is a gift.
And we believe in faith that God uses everything, especially ashes, to bring beauty + strength.

God Bless, America. May it start with us— each of us, in our own circle, holding what matters and letting go of what doesn’t 🤍