I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.” -Psalm 91:2

On September 11, 2001, students began leaving my class as terrified parents picked up their children. At that time, it seemed as though all of America was on fire, and no one knew when it would end. At the end of the day, I sat down at the computer and pulled up the first images of the twin towers in New York City collapsing. Then I heard reports of the Pentagon and Pennsylvania.

America’s bubble had burst.

In the weeks that followed, I combed the stores for an American flag. Porches everywhere were adorned with the stars and stripes, and every car had an American flag magnet prominently displayed somewhere on it.

Suddenly, everyone was the same. We were all Americans, and no one cared about race, gender or politics. We would all nod solemnly at each other as if to say, We are all in this together. We were all in this together. We still are.

Over time, the war dragged on and people began to forget. The flags came down, and the magnets were removed. Political correctness became the dominating force behind every spoken word, and many people dared not give an opinion for fear of retribution.

As social media became the norm, a new platform was born for airing grievances. Having friends that reside on both sides of the political aisle, it is not uncommon to see contradictory messages streaming in my feed.

The last several years have put such a strain on our nation. We have become a nation of left vs. right, and the roar is deafening. It has become a you against me, us against them, I am right and you are wrong country that I fear will soon buckle under the weight of it all. The divisiveness is stifling, and I wonder if we will see it in time.

We face a battle against a very real, unseen adversary who seeks to destroy us by turning us against one another and convincing us that sin is not sin. As a result, we have become a nation who seeks self-service over serving others.

My heart grieves when I see people turning against each other. I have had social media friends leave because of my belief in Jesus, and I have read the comments of political posts in which vicious name calling dominates the conversation. It is heartbreaking because it means we have bought into the enemy’s schemes.

Scripture is my compass. It is what I use to navigate through the turbulent waters of this life, and I believe every word of it to be truth straight from the mouth of God. Though I often fall short of rising to the standard it sets, my hope is that I will have the strength to keep striving to become more Christ-like. I am very grateful for the gift of salvation through Jesus.

God has given me the privilege of becoming friends with women who are from other countries, different races, and very different backgrounds from mine. We are sisters because we are followers of Christ, and I am honored to know each of them. This is what I love so very much about this nation. We are truly a nation of diversity, and we have the opportunity to serve each other in freedom.

Today, I will pray for the families who lost loved ones on September 11, 2001, and I will pray that our nation will turn once again to God. I truly believe that if we desire to be a nation that is blessed by the Father, we must first bless Him, and seek to honor Him.

It isn’t about being a great nation. It is about being a nation who serves a great God.