In 2002, just one year after the September 11th attacks, Lisa Beamer—widow of Flight 93 hero Todd Beamer—delivered a keynote address at the Pennsylvania Family Institute Friends of the Family Banquet. Her words, filled with faith and courage, remain a powerful reminder of what truly matters in life and in the face of tragedy.
Pennsylvania Roots
I’ve been to a lot of places this year, but Pennsylvania is a special place in the fabric of our family. Both my parents are from Sunbury, just up the Susquehanna, and I spent many holidays, in fact, probably 100% of my holidays growing up in Sunbury, Pennsylvania. And trips to Knoebels Grove was my summer highlight, so I’m happy to be here tonight.
Todd and I actually spent quite a bit of time in Pennsylvania during the summer of 2001. We actually took Todd on his first trip to the Lancaster area. Thomas the Tank Engine was at the Strasburg Railroad, and for those of you who have, like me, fought through crowds of thousands of toddlers screaming at a blue train, you know what a wonderful experience that was for us. And if you don’t know who Sir Topham Hatt is, you can count yourself lucky tonight.
But just Labor Day weekend, right before September 11th, we were also in Pennsylvania. We had gone with some friends to the Sight and Sound Theater to see the NOAH show, and then stopped to spend a few hours with Keith and Sandy. Keith, who was up here earlier tonight.
Ordinary Plans Before an Unimaginable Day
And I remember as Todd and I drove home from Pennsylvania on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, it was Labor Day weekend, and we were sort of looking ahead at the fall and regrouping and doing what so many of us do on Labor Day weekend and sort of planning ahead and thinking of how life is going to change over the next few months. David was going back to preschool, and Todd was sort of reenergizing at work. And as the boys slept in the back seat, we were sort of planning how the months ahead would unfold. And certainly for neither Todd nor I, we could have guessed in a million years that the next time I would be traveling on the Pennsylvania Turnpike that I would be heading to Shanksville and what I would see when I got there.
And for 3,000 other people on September 11th, unimaginable things happened as well. I’ve gotten to have the privilege this year of meeting many other families who lost loved ones on September 11th, and I’m awed over and over again when I hear their stories and when I listen to how September 11th started for them, how ordinary it was.
I know for Todd it was a very ordinary day. He woke up and showered and packed his bag and got in the car and drove to Newark Airport where he got on an airplane intending to go out to a business meeting in California and fly home that very night. He had never done a one-day trip to California before, but that was his plan that day.
And for my friend Jill, she woke up the morning of September 11th and went down to her basement and got on her treadmill, and her husband Steve poked his head around the corner and asked her how it was working because he had just fixed it for her, and she gave him the thumbs-up and said, I love you, and he said, I love you, and turned around and went up the stairs, got in his car and went to the train station where he took a train into New York City and walked to his job at the World Trade Center.
And my friend Sean and his wife Debbie woke up on the morning of September 11th and did what they had done for hundreds of mornings before, and they got up and got ready for work and got in their car and drove to the train station and took the train into New York City together. And when they got there, Sean went one way to his office and Debbie went the other to her office at the World Trade Center. And we all know what happened that day for Todd and for Debbie and for Steve and for so many other people.
Those plans that Todd and I had talked about on Labor Day weekend didn’t happen. There were so many things that were left undone, hopes unrealized, children unraised. But for all of us, September 11th was very meaningful too, and I’m sure each and every person in this room can think exactly what they were doing on September 11th, what they were wearing probably, where they were when they heard the news that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center, and then not just one plane but two, and then not two planes but three, and then four, and the horror and the disbelief and the sorrow and the fear and the anger and all those things that flowed out of each of our hearts and souls that day.
What Do We Do With It?
And now we’ve had about almost 14 months to digest some of that and to think about it, to weave it into the fabric of our nation and into the fabric of ourselves. And just about seven or eight weeks ago, we were drawn again to look back at September 11th in all its gruesome detail on the one-year anniversary. And most of us probably couldn’t help that day but to see a picture on TV of the buildings on fire, a plane crash, family members desperately searching for some answers, people covered in ash running for their lives.
And on that day, I don’t know what you did, but I stopped for a few minutes and I challenged myself to think, what does that all mean? What do I do with it? How do I make it a part of me? Where do I go from here? And those are questions I’ve obviously been asking myself all throughout the year. But on September 11th, it was much more poignant.
And as I thought about what do we do with all that, and I looked at the news and I heard reports of the many things that have happened in our nation since September 11th from airline security to a war in Afghanistan and possibly a war in Iraq and all sorts of very tangible measures that are being taken as a reaction, as a response to September 11th, I thought those things are good. And I’m glad that there are some very capable people and some very wise people doing what we need to do to protect ourselves, to be better prepared, to defend freedom and to spread it wherever we can. But for me, I don’t think that’s really what September 11th is all about. And for most average Americans, I don’t think that’s what September 11th is really about.
What Would Todd Say It’s About?
And so as I asked myself the question, well, what does it mean? What is it really about? The only way I could hope to answer that was to think about Todd and to think about what would Todd tell me September 11th is really about? Having the perspective that he has, having the experience that he had that day, what would he tell me really matters? And what does it all come down to?
And that was a pretty easy question for me to answer. I know Todd well, and I know what drove Todd, and I know what was in his heart and in his soul. And thankfully, I have very tangible information about what was in Todd’s mind even during the last moments of his life thanks to a phone call and a very level-headed, wise operator.
And I’m not surprised to know that the things that really mattered to Todd in the end were the same things that mattered to Todd each and every day of his life, the same things that he had been cultivating for years and years. And I know as Todd was faced with the most unimaginable, horrible circumstances he could have ever imagined on that plane that day, I know what kept Todd calm, and I know what kept him steady and kept him peaceful enough for Lisa Jefferson to tell me that she would never have guessed it was a real hijacking situation if she hadn’t been told by the FBI that it was. Because the way Todd was talking and responding to her, she couldn’t believe that this man she was speaking to was really being hijacked and being threatened by terrorists and headed towards what he told her he knew was his certain death.
The Foundation of Todd’s Peace
And so the thing that I know mattered to Todd most on September 11th was first and foremost the fact that as a young boy, he had taken the opportunity to give his life over to Jesus and to say that no matter what happens at the end of the day, I know I’m going to be walking next to Jesus, whether it’s back at my home in Cranberry or at my real home in heaven. And that’s what mattered to Todd on September 11th.
But it wasn’t just that he had made that one-time decision in his life 25 years before. It’s that he made very intentional decisions throughout the next 25 years to learn what it really meant to give his life to Jesus and to do it over and over again in all the little decisions of his life. And that wasn’t a very easy thing to do at many times in his life. And if Todd had just sort of coasted along and let the current of life take him along, I think when September 11th came around, he wouldn’t have had that same level of peace and comfort and hope because he wouldn’t have really known all that much about who this Jesus was that he had put his faith in.
But through a series of thousands of small decisions, thousands of small prayers on September 10th and on September 9th and July 23rd and March 18th, Todd learned to know the Jesus who he put his faith in. He learned to know the love that Jesus had for him on a very individual basis. He learned to know the power that Jesus has to affect his life, to affect the course of the world that he lived in. And having those two pieces of information and having known them in a very real way, in a very heartfelt way through his life, led him to be able to do what he did on September 11th and let him face eternity and face death in a very amazingly dignified and peaceful way, a peace that did surpass all understanding.
“Choose This Day”: A Daily Decision
I was reminded this week of the story of Joshua in the Old Testament. Joshua had taken over the leadership of the Israelites and had led them through many trials, ups and downs, obedience and disobedience. And at the end of his life, as he was preparing for what he knew was going to be his death, he called all the Israelites together and he reiterated to them the history of their people and what God had meant to them over their lives and the things they had taught them and the things he had provided for them in their obedience and in their disobedience. And then he threw out a challenge to them. He said, Choose this day who you will serve, but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.
And it was sort of a no-brainer decision for the Israelites after having listened to the faithfulness of the God of the universe to them as individual little created beings, to know that this God loved them and took care of them through ups and downs, through their wondering. And that’s what Todd did throughout his life.
See, that concept of choosing this day who you will serve, it’s not a one-time thing. And for Todd, it wasn’t a one-time thing that he did when he was a 7-year-old boy. It was a daily event. And it’s a daily event for all of us, whether we choose to make it a rational choice or not. Each and every day and each and every moment, we are making a choice of who we’re going to serve. And only by living a life that’s very intentional and very forward-thinking and very focused and walking with the God of the universe do we get to a point in our lives where we can face victory, we can face defeat, we can face love, we can face loss, in peace and in hope, like Todd did on September 11th.
And there were a lot of days that Todd didn’t make the choice to serve God. And if he was standing right here today, he would acknowledge that to all of you. And none of us do that perfectly. But I know as Todd was sitting on that airplane on September 11th, what mattered to Todd were those times where he had chosen who he would serve, and those times when the person he served was not Todd Beamer, was not Lisa Beamer, was not Oracle Corporation, but those times that he served the God of the universe.
Letting September 11th Change Us
And so as I’ve walked forward from September 11th, 2001, and tried to answer that question for myself, what does it all mean? How does it change me? Obviously September 11th has changed me in many ways that I couldn’t control, but I’m opting to let it change me in some ways that I can control. And so as I go forward and live my life, it’s with all the more knowledge and certainty that all that matters is that daily choice of who I will serve and who I will trust and who I will obey.
And God has given me a beautiful picture of what that looks like on a very daily basis. I have three children. The oldest is four. The youngest is nine months. But the middle one is two. And for those of you who have a two-year-old or have had a two-year-old, you know what it’s like parenting a two-year-old. It’s full of joy and it’s full of sorrow. And Drew and I have our battles. One of the greatest is trying to walk across a parking lot which we do very often. And we have a rule that Drew’s supposed to hold my hand as we walk across the parking lot. But often that’s not Drew’s agenda.
He wants to know where we’re going, and I say, oh, Drew, we’re going to go to the grocery store. And he doesn’t want to go to the grocery store. See, he doesn’t know that if he doesn’t go to the grocery store, when he wakes up in the morning, he’s not going to have any milk to drink. All he can think about is the fact that he’d rather get back in the car where his toys are. So on those occasions, Drew will find himself thrown on the floor of the parking lot in a little temper tantrum. And I’ll stay in there and I’ll wait. And sometimes I’ll have to pick him up and drag him to the grocery store.
And then there’s other times where we’re walking and Drew sees something up ahead that looks really exciting to him. And so his best idea is to drop my hand and run on ahead, usually in the wrong direction, putting himself in the way of harm that he knows nothing about. He has no idea what a car could do to him or what a stranger could do to him. He just knows that he thinks he has a pretty good idea of where he should go and how he should get there.
And so as I think about walking through my life and what it really means to intentionally each and every day make the choice to serve and walk with the God of the universe, I think about Drew and walking across the parking lot with Drew. And guess who I am in that scenario? I’m little Drew. Because so often in my quest to walk through life, I’ll grab God’s hand and I’ll say, I can’t do this without you. But then something will come along like September 11th and I’ll say, wait a minute. You made a really big mistake. I don’t want to walk with you anymore. And so I’ll throw myself on the parking lot and have a little temper tantrum.
And then there’s other days where I’ll be walking along and I’ll see something up ahead that looks really good. And I say, you know what, I can do this. And I let go of God’s hand and I run ahead. And I’m usually going the wrong direction. I’m usually going into harm’s way. And I’m certainly not walking by faith or walking in the direction that God needs me to walk for my best.
And so those few times in my parenting of Drew where he actually takes my hand and walks at my pace in my direction and listens to me and obeys me and trusts me and talks to me and listens to me, those are the times that Drew gets where he needs to go. He gets there safely. We actually enjoy ourselves. And that’s the way I envision how I want to live in light of September 11th, walking hand in hand with the God of the universe, the God who has far greater wisdom and love than I could ever have in my life, and the God who understands what direction I need to go in and how I need to get there. And for whatever reason, chooses to walk with me.
Micah 6:8 — The Bottom Line
Back in April of this year, I had the experience of picking out a tombstone for Todd. It was not anything I’ve done before in my life or thought I would have to do at the age of 33. But when I went to the tombstone store, the gentleman asked me what I wanted to have written on the stone. And I thought of all the things that Todd was, who he was to me and to our children and to friends and family. I thought there’s no way I can encapsulate Todd on a piece of granite. And so I left, and I went home, and I thought, what should I do?
And then I thought of a verse that Todd loved. He was sort of a bottom-line person. Tell me all I need to know in 10 seconds or less so I can figure out what to do with it. And I thought of the verse from the book of Micah, chapter 6, verse 8. And it’s sort of the bottom line for Todd. And as he woke up in the morning, it sort of set his stage for his day. And it says, He has shown you, O man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you. And it’s only three things. It says we’re required to act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with our God.
And so in light of September 11th, I am striving each and every day to walk humbly with my God. And it’s a very simple concept, but it’s not an easy one. If it was easy, a lot more people would do it. But I can tell you from my personal experience that it leads to the most amazing peace and the most amazing hope that I’ve ever experienced in my entire life. And in light of the circumstances that my life has taken over the last 14 months, I can tell you it’s only attributable to walking hand in hand with the God of the universe. In the light of the circumstances that Todd faced on September 11th, his peace and his thoughts and his hope were only attributable to his choices throughout his life of walking hand in hand with the God of the universe.
Preparing for Our Own “September 11th”
And so as we go forward from September 11th, as much as we plan and protect and do everything possible as a nation and as a people and as individuals to control our lives and control our circumstances and make sure September 11th doesn’t happen again, the truth is September 11th is going to happen again for each and every one in this room. Because each and every one in this room is going to come to a place that Todd came to on September 11th where you’re facing your death and you’re facing your eternity. And probably most people in this room are going to come to the place where I came to on September 11th where you’re facing the loss of everything you love and you trust on this earth.
And so in light of the reality of a future September 11th for you, I ask you to think on the question, what mattered to Todd? And make sure that those things matter to you and that you’re living in light of those things. And I’ve been so encouraged here tonight to see how the Pennsylvania Family Institute takes these exact topics to heart, to be very intentional about who they are and why they do what they do, and knowing that things aren’t going to change by just floating along in the current of life, but that intentional choice of each and every moment deciding who you will serve is the only thing that prepares you for your September 11th.
