Who Will Remember?
On September 11, 2001, I woke up for my first day of work at a new job and headed out the door with my 4 year old and 1 ½ year old in tow. Little did I know how the day would unfold. Where were you? It seems we all remember.
I had seen God’s provision as I moved out of the public school system and into ministry with a local megachurch. My first job was to fix a broken childcare system for the women’s ministry. Challenge accepted and I was ready. Every detail was in place for a successful launch on the first day. Twenty local college students were vetted and hired, classrooms were prepared, curriculum was in place, and safety protocols were set.
Women arrived, dropped off their children, and headed to the Bible Study. It was a well oiled machine. Not a problem in sight. I chose a class and joined the women upstairs.
The first plane hit the twin towers. The news was shocking as someone announced it to the class. They stopped and prayed for everyone involved. Then the next plane hit. The vibe in the room changed from concern to apprehension. Something was terribly wrong. And that’s when it hit me. Chaos was coming. I better move now!
I casually slipped out of the classroom, ran through the hall, and down the steps as my plan was forming. I bolted to each room explaining to and comforting the college students as I told them what happened. I warned them to get each child ready to go. These moms would be in a hurry. That was an understatement.
Do you know what happens when about a hundred women hear about planes crashing and terrorist attacks? They go into freak out mode and then quickly pass into protection mode. The moms scrambled down the steps as they heard of the Pentagon attack, picked up their young children while calling the schools in hopes of grabbing the rest of their family. It happened fast!
It was an impactful day and memorable. It’s like the day JFK was shot. We all remember. Except some of us don’t. I don’t remember JFK. I can’t. I wasn’t born. My kids don’t remember 9/11. They were too little. Yet each of these events is important to our history in America.
But what’s more important than remembering historic events in our country? It’s us. We are more important. Our kids and grandkids may learn something important from the stories of their country, but they find their identity and understand who they are through the stories of their parents and grandparents.
What do our kids or grandkids need to know? The stories about our faith and family. They need to see them, hear them, and experience them. Personally, I believe that the restoration of the family and passing on the family faith story is close to the heart of God.
That’s why I founded Red Dirt Legacy Co. Every family should experience hope and healing by celebrating their family legacy story. Your family legacy is important for the next generation. You live your legacy, so you can give your legacy to your family.
Help your kids or grandkids remember what’s important. And at the very least, spend some time celebrating family as often as you can, but especially in September during National Grandparents Day.
This week, take some time to dig into your story and appreciate the experiences that have made you who you are.
Searching for wisdom and asking for grace,
Jody
Jody Flurie is the Founder and Owner of Red Dirt Legacy Co. where family legacy stories are celebrated through each Little Legacy Film Series - a series of short videos that can be easily shared to keep children and grandparents connected by what matters most for each family.
Jody believes all kids, young and old, need to understand where they came from and why it matters. Everyday, she works hard to instill this in her family because it’s only through understanding who we are that we can be fully ourselves and make a true indelible mark on the world.
If you want the same thing that Jody wants for her family, visit reddirtlegacyco.com to find out how your family can celebrate the wisdom, love, and legacy of an earlier generation. If we don’t step up to bring hope to our families, who will?