From my office building two blocks to the north of the World Trade Center, we had a unique vantage point. There was something distinct we saw from the roof that you can’t generally see from the video footage. After the first plane hit the North Tower, we ran upstairs to see what happened. Our view faced the impact side of the tower. The image that is burned in my memory is that of a person up on one of the top floors in the far east corner, waving a white flag.
A white flag of surrender and of needing help and hope.
How helpless to sit and watch, knowing there were those trapped above the impact zone.
Each year on 9/11 I pray and mourn for those who lost loved ones that day. Those whose number of days were up. Men were heroes. A nation came together. A city stood tall and strong. Children were orphaned. Spouses were widowed.
Staring at the wreckage of 9/11 in lower Manhattan, the workers began the daunting task of rescue and clean up. It seemed hopeless and it seemed horrendous and it seemed impossible to recover.
Chronic illness can feel like that. The wreckage and havoc on the physical and emotional selves seems unending. The pit seems too deep to climb out of at times. What can we learn from the courage of 9/11? What can we memorialize and use from the bravery and togetherness of a nation? What can we learn from the white flag?
Disaster reminds us to tell people we love them. It reminds us that life is short. It reminds us that we are not in charge. It reminds us to reach out for hope.
We must learn to surrender. This life is not our own. We cannot determine our days or our minutes. All we can do is live them right. Be good stewards.
In your chronic illness disaster, what are you struggling to surrender? Oh, I had to surrender my plans. That one was hard for me because I am a Type A planner. I had been bypassing God for awhile on this one and making My plans in My time and in My way.
But once I surrendered that, then it started a chain reaction.
Surrender my health.
Surrender my car keys and my kids to friends and family for help.
Surrender to the doctors.
Surrender tomorrow.
Surrender each moment.
Surrender my lists and my “to do’s”.
Surrender my future and the number of my days.
Start making a list of things you need to surrender. Put down the burden. Clean off your plate. Focus on only the things you can control. Your faith. Your actions. Your attitude. How you spend your time. Your prayer life.
Chris Tomlin wrote a song called “We Raise a White Flag”, that begins with the words:
The battle rages on
As storm and tempest roar
We cannot win this fight
We cannot win this fight, because the fight is not our own. We have been created and we are loved. He alone knows the number of our days. (Psalm 139)
Now quit reading this and go tell someone you love them. Take the day off tomorrow and do something spontaneous and fun. Put down the list and laugh instead.
To health and healing,
Janice Fairbairn
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