Which Tie Do I Wear?

I was in a dilemma this morning. I was facing an important decision, one that I believed impacted the entire day. What is the dilemma? Which tie do I wear today? I know that you are thinking that it really isn't that earth shattering. And it really wasn't (and i suppose "isn't") except, and there is always that except, that I feel that the tie that I wear will make a statement for the day.

You see, today is September 11th. Today is the 11th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States of America. It was on this day that 4 planes were hijacked by terrorists and 3 of the planes were flown into important buildings. Two were flown into the 2 towers of the World Trade Center and 1 was flown into the Pentagon. The 4th was meant for the capital or some other building in Washington D.C. but was brought down by the passengers before any damage could be done. I remember watching in shock as the World Trade towers came crashing to the ground.

Today we will have a remembrance of that event at school. So which tie do I wear? My first thought was to wear a patriotic tie. Show my support for the good ole' US of A. Let's stand up and be proud to be an American. Make a statement. I am not ashamed to be an American. I want everyone to know that I am an American. There will be many speeches today that state that very thing. And I wanted to be one of those who made the statement as well. Let the children of St. Paul's know that I am proud to be an American.

But then I thought of this: "It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes." (Psalm 118:8-9 ESV) When we put our trust in man, princes, people in the government, and world leaders, we are on shaky ground. So I thought to myself, "You should wear a tie that reminds the children where we put our trust - in the Lord." We need to keep our eyes focused on the place that brings true comfort and safety - even when the U.S.A. is in under attack. We need to have our hearts firmly set on the One that carried us through those scary post 9/11 days. It is in the Lord that we trust not our president or congress. It is in the Lord of Host that we trust not in power of our army or air force. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Rock that cannot be shaken or moved. "In the cross of Christ I glory, towering o'er the wrecks of time."

So you can see my dilemma. Make a patriotic statement or make a faith statement. (No I do not have a tie that is both patriotic and Christian. That would be the best answer.) What will I do? Which direction will I go? Which tie will I wear? There is only one way to know - come out to the remembrance today at 8:15 a.m.