Like you, virtually everything changed that day.
I was a new pastor, I was a young pastor, my children were young.
I was at a conference in Utah with other pastors when we were informed the remainder of the gathering had been cancelled. We all immediately returned home to be with our families. I called Renee to let her know I was on the way and she would keep the boys home until I arrived.
There were many days filled with unclear knowledge about what had just happened. Prayer meetings were full, I walked through the neighborhood around the church praying and knocking on doors inviting people to gather with us for prayer. Many came…
Few returned.
Within a few days we began to learn that the majority of those who hijacked the planes were originally from Saudi Arabia, all haters of the Almighty God and launched war against the United States of America.
This event, like others, God used to better shape the theology of this pastor and how to live out all of life in a missional way by praying for my enemies.
One afternoon while praying in my office, I stepped into the small auditorium and opened all of the window blinds and was struck by how quickly we had already returned to “normal”. Everything in the city was back to normal quickly. Likely because we were far removed from New York City.
I sat down with a notebook and pen in the center of that old auditorium and began to write. A discipline I had not made part of my daily life yet, and wrote the lyrics to this poem/song.
The Other Side
Verse 1
Another day again, nothing changed within
Same ol’ me and the same ol’ you
Sitting on this side of the windows again
Happy where I am
Content just where I am
Same ol’ me and the same ol’ you
Sitting on this side of the windows again
Chorus
Shake my world again
But give me peace within
Oh Lord I want to go…
To the other side of the windows
Lord I know that’s where you want me to go
To the other side of the windows
Cause that’s where the lost people are
They’re on the other side
Verse 2
Be strong and courageous you’ve been bought by the saviors blood
Do you want to be the same ol’ you?
I don’t want to be the same ol’ me
Sitting on this side of the windows again
Bring me back again change my heart within
I don’t want to be the same ol’ me
Do you want to be the same ol’ you?
Sitting on this side of the windows again
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