Posted on 09/27/2001 2:41:42 PM PDT by Slyfox
I was ambling along in traffic on the morning of September 11th, 2001, listening to idle speculation on my favorite sports radio station regarding Michael Jordan's expected return to the NBA. The world as we know it was suddenly turned upside down, as a DJ mentioned that he was watching smoke pour out of one of the World Trade Center buildings on TV. Before I arrived at work, reporters on the scene determined that a plane had run into the building, and then watched helplessly as a 2nd plane smashed into the other tower.
As the day progressed, and my co-workers and I watched in horror as both of the towers collapsed and another hijacked plane hit the Pentagon, we heard reports that a 4th plane had crashed somewhere in Pennsylvania. I had no way of knowing at the time that a man I knew, Todd Beamer, would be instrumental in leading a resistance effort on the plane that likely saved either the Capitol Building or the White House from certain destruction.
I stumbled through the week of the terrorists attacks at work, trying to concentrate but failing, trying to work but failing, trying to make sense of it all but failing, and most importantly, trying to pray, and largely failing. I couldn't put my grief into words for God. By the end of the week, I hadn't yet heard that Todd had been on the flight that crashed near Pittsburgh, so my grief had a somewhat detached feeling to it. I was sad, by I wasn't "I knew someone who died" sad. That was soon to change.
I picked up the paper from my lawn on Monday morning, September 17th, and took it with me to work. I went in early Monday, mostly driven by guilt at not having accomplished much of anything the week before. I had a little extra time after I arrived at my desk, so I spread out the front page of the paper to get the latest take on the attacks aftermath. A woman I work with was in my office perusing the paper with me, and we were idly chatting until I saw the picture of Todd Beamer. I looked very hard at the face and the name. Beamer is not a common last name. I stopped breathing. I quickly scanned the article—an article on the 4 men who led the effort to overtake the hijackers. The article confirmed that Todd Beamer was on the flight, and he and 3 other men successfully kept the hijackers from crashing the plane into either the Capitol or the White House. The article also detailed Todd's 15 minute phone call with a GTE supervisor and the FBI, in which he described the hijackers actions and the passengers' planned resistance effort. He ended the phone call by praying the Lords prayer with the GTE supervisor, and making her promise to call his wife, Lisa.
I was in shock. I couldn't think, couldn't act. I suddenly had an intense desire to confirm that this Todd Beamer was the Todd Beamer I knew. I knew Todd had attended Wheaton College in Illinois. I found their website's url, prayed, typed it in, then watched as Whatnots home page scrolled across my screen. I prayed that I wouldn't see a sign of confirmation on the site. My eyes immediately fell to a link that said, "Terrorist Attack Touches Wheaton." I knew even before I clicked on the link that the Todd Beamer I knew was the Todd Beamer on that fated Pennsylvania flight.
I met Todd Beamer in 1993 while working part-time in the marketing department of Wilson Sporting Goods. I was a first year graduate business student at Northwestern University in Chicago. I had a passion for sports, and aspired to a career in Sports Marketing. I figured Wilson would be a great launching point for my career. I also really needed the money, as I was a really poor graduate student. I was introduced to Todd on my first day of work. Todd was responsible for training me on Wilson's customer service IT systems. Training on the use of information systems requires sitting endlessly in front of a computer screen, so Todd and I got to spend a lot of quality time together. I learned of his love of sports—he was an accomplished high school basketball and baseball athlete. The Chicago Bulls were beginning their quest for a 3rd NBA title, so we had much to discuss. He told me about the time he saw Michael Jordan in the Wilson hallways—Michael is a Wilson pitch man. I asked him what MJ looked like—he said "tall." We joked a lot, and talked of future plans. He also quietly witnessed to me—he told me about Wheaton (one of the nations leading Christian colleges); he told me about his church; he asked me where I attended church. I was not a Christian at the time, but the genuineness of the guy touched me. He sort of oozed a quiet and assured humility—he was a guy you really wanted to be around.
I left Wilson after a year, right around the time Todd was leaving to go into business with a friend of his. I lost touch with him, and I had not talked with him in 7 years. As I worked through my very tangible grief after reading the newspaper article about Todd, I struggled to find the "good" in all this. And slowly, but very surely, the Holy Spirit worked in me in a wonderful way. You see, Todd lived as Christ lived. He carried himself in a way that attracted people—you wanted to know how and why this guy had it all together. You wanted to be in his presence. You wanted to talk with him. You wanted him to hear what you had to say. You looked up to him. He was a quiet but powerful leader, and he knew exactly where he stood with God.
Knowing all this, I am not surprised in the least that he behaved the way he did on that plane. He lived as Christ lived, and he died as Christ died, throwing himself on the cross to save others. John McCain said that he likely is alive today because of the actions of Todd and his partners on that plane.
I am uplifted by what seems an absolutely genuine desire by our political leaders, our co-workers, our neighbors and the media to discuss Gods love in these trying times. As Todd shared with me his faith, I've felt the strong desire to share my faith with others, and to share some of the verses in the Bible that have given strength to my weary and confused soul. I hope and pray that Gods word finds its way into your heart, and you trust in His Son Jesus Christ as your savior. Jesus is the only hope we have in this fallen world, and I cant imagine trying to process this madness without Him.
Psalm 23:1-4 The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not be in want. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul. He guides me in paths of righteousness for his names sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
Psalm 37:1-3 Do not fret because of evil men or be envious of those who do wrong; like green plants they will soon die away. Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture.
Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
John 14:6 Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
Give your heart to God in these troubled times. Live like Todd Beamer did. Pray for his wife, Lisa, their two sons, and the child that is on the way.
Feel free to pass this on to friends, relatives and anyone else if this touches you. I'd love for it to find its way to Lisa Beamer. Lisa, we're proud of your husband. Your children couldn't have asked for a better father.
Eric Logan
I think it's called the Presidential Medal of Freedom..
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.