The Moral of the Story

Cindy Trane Christeson

‘God does not comfort us to make us comfortable, but to make us

comforters.’

-- John Henry Jowett

“I like your pin, Cindy, where’s it from?” a friend asked recently.

I bought that pin my first day in New York. It’s the shape of an

apple, with the colors of the American flag.

“ Oh, it’s like the Big Apple, like New York,” she said. “How was New

York?”

I shared some of the stories that you’ve read in recent columns, plus

several conversations that the pin started. One police officer commented

on it when I talked to her near ground zero on her break. When I asked

how she was, she said, “We all do what we can for others, right?”

She said to go around the corner and listen to a service for

firefighters at the New York Police Memorial.

The first speaker I heard said, “These were the best of the best. They

laid down their lives for others. We come together with sadness, pain and

grief, but we come in front of our heavenly father and ask him to hold us

in his arms.

“We gather here in remembrance of those who gave their lives so

unselfishly. Those we lost are only out of our sight, they are not out of

our minds and hearts. Lord, please bless our firefighters who are still

on the job, honoring those who gave themselves for us.”

The next speaker said, “We managed to save 25,000 people before those

buildings came down. Unfortunately, we don’t hear that enough. But our

firefighters, and all the others who gave their lives, participated in

one of the greatest rescues ever.”

At that point, everybody clapped and cried.

I had to leave to meet my husband at his trade show. While heading to

the convention center, I prayed that God would somehow comfort those who

lost loved ones. Soon a young man walked up next to me and said, “I like

your pin.”

“Thank you, I like your city,” I answered.

“Thanks, it’s great, though we’re all obviously hurting,” he said,

then asked where I was headed. He was going to the same place, so we

walked for several blocks together.

While walking, he told me he’d seen the first plane hit the tower.

“My fiancee and four other friends worked there, and, well,” he said,

and his voice cracked, “let’s just say, they haven’t returned my calls

since. They’re unaccounted for.”

“I can’t imagine what that must be like. How are you doing?” I asked.

“Well, for one thing, I’m not sleeping at night,” he said.

“Yesterday I connected with the Billy Graham Prayer Center, and

they’ve combined with several churches and offer counseling and prayer,”

I explained. “I think it could really help. Could I give you their

number?”

“Sure, thanks,” he said. “By the way, my name is Anthony, what’s

yours?”

I told him and then asked if he’d like me to pray for him.

“Be my guest,” he answered.

I prayed out loud for him briefly while we walked. Then we arrived at

the convention center and went our separate ways.

He thanked me again, but all I did was what that police officer said

-- “We all do what we can for others, right?”

And you can quote me on that.

* CINDY TRANE CHRISTESON is a Newport Beach resident who speaks

frequently to parenting groups. She may be reached via e-mail at o7

cindy@onthegrow.comf7 or through the mail at P.O. Box 6140-No. 505,

Newport Beach, CA 92658.