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Synopsis from atstracts.org

Life lessons from a Ground Zero chaplain.

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You are not reading this by accident.

It has been placed in your hands for a purpose. Though this article deals with some events in the aftermath of the collapse of the World Trade Center, it is written for people who are facing or have faced their own personal Ground Zeros. Sometimes events enter into our lives that are as devastating to us as the events in New York City were to millions of people. To the parents of a runaway child, the mother who has lost her son, the business person who’s had to file bankruptcy, their issues are Ground Zeros.

When You're At Ground Zero

When your world collapses, it doesn’t usually happen in an instant. It’s usually caused by a series of events. A divorce doesn’t happen in one day; it often takes struggling couples years to come to the end of their ability to stay married. Post-abortion stress may take a long time to develop; when it does, it becomes a Ground Zero.

On September 11, 2001, a major event was recorded in the annals of history. The terrorist destruction of the twin towers of the World Trade Center shook the world. The death toll has been and will continue to be a nightmare for tens of thousands of people.. I hope and pray that God’s love will somehow bring peace to the troubled hearts and minds of these people.

I want to assure you that your personal Ground Zero will pass, and peace can finally come. To begin to point the way out of the darkness, I want to help you understand the devastation and the blow to your life. You must bring closure to your own Ground Zero, and that starts by understanding the four stages of a disaster.

The Four Stages

The first stage of an event is the disaster itself. With the disaster comes shock and disbelief. All of us experienced this shock when we viewed all the replays of the commercial jetliners crashing into the World Trade Center. When we go through our own Ground Zeros, we experience a similar shock and disbelief, and those emotions affect every area of our life.

The second stage of a critical incident is the rescue effort. The rescue effort marks an emotional shift for the people involved; it becomes a time of hope. During this stage, the workers at Ground Zero were climbing around the rubble looking for people who were trapped and alive. They kept going because of the hope that someone was going to make it out alive. In our personal Ground Zeros the same is true. Once the shock of the bankruptcy decision is over or the shock that you have been served divorce papers has subsided, then you try to rescue everything you can.

The third stage is an uncomfortable one. This is the recovery effort. The recovery effort takes place once it becomes obvious that no one is left alive. You probably remember New York Mayor Giuliani sadly telling the public on television that the rescue efforts were ended and the recovery effort was starting. This same shift takes place in your collapsing world too. You begin to realize the facts, they stare you right in the face, and you understand things can never be the same.

The fourth and final stage is the closure period. Many times we find that this part of a major incident is very difficult. Guilt can plague you, and your emotions can be in turmoil, preventing you from making the decision to move forward with your life. Closure is a must; otherwise you will spend the rest of your life wandering in a gloomy world of sadness and indecision.

Moving Forward

Let me encourage you to turn your eyes to God and let Him lead you to a place of healing. Jesus Christ has a specific design for our lives: “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). To begin your journey forward, you need to trust Jesus to lead you in the right way. He said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me”

(John 14:6).

Jesus makes it very clear that He is the way to heaven and that it is through Him that we get to the Father. We begin by making sure Jesus is our Lord and Savior. Lord, because we surrender our lives to Him and He now leads us. Savior, because He paid the price for our sins and God will now receive us into His kingdom because He has accepted Jesus as the perfect sacrifice. So Step 1 in moving forward with our life is to pray and receive Jesus into our hearts.

Dear God,

I want to bring closure to my painful situation, but I cannot do this on my own. I need Your help. Please come into my heart and life with Your love, mercy and grace. I surrender my sins to Your Son, Jesus, accept His forgiveness, and ask Him to lead me from this day forward.

In Jesus’ name I pray.

Amen.

Congratulations if you prayed that prayer and truly received Jesus into your heart. May God envelop you with His love and grace this very moment. You may contact ATS for free information about your new life as a Christian. ~Mike Macintosh

Mike Macintosh, a pastor and police chaplain with specialized training in Critical Incident Stress Management, is specially qualified to help people in times of crisis. As a member of a national disaster response team, Mike was on call September 11 and spent several weeks ministering to rescue personnel at Ground Zero. For information about Mike and his ministry, or to order his new book, contact: 1-800-775-7234, or www.horizonsd.org.

This article was adapted from: When Your World Falls Apart, ©2002, Mike Macintosh. Available at bookstores everywhere or by contacting Cook Ministries at:

1-800-323-7543 or www.cookministries.com

Copied with permission of Cook Communications Ministries. May not be further reproduced. All rights reserved.