More Than Just Old Books!
September 15, 2015
This past Friday, September 11th, I was involved in the delivery of a special aircraft. The experience was heartfelt for me and those in attendance. It was to be a day of celebration, as well as a day of remembrance. I thought long and hard about what would be the appropriate way to balance the two, as we took the time to reflect on the past events in the history of our Country. I wanted to do something that would be spiritually meaningful, so I came up with an idea…
This past June, my son Jarid and I were in Washington D.C. on business, and needed to remain over the weekend. On Sunday, we attended church at Christ Church, located in Alexandria, Virginia. Christ Church was the church attended by President George Washington. It is a tradition each year that the current President attends a service at Christ Church around Washington’s birthday, to honor our first President.
Sitting on my office coffee table back in Dallas were four old and very used prayer books that I had been entrusted with from Christ Church. My plans are to place them in my ranch chapel where they will join the company of other used prayer books that were used at the National Cathedral in Washington, as well as several other churches that I have attended services in over my aviation career.
So to honor the memory of all of the people whose lives have been impacted by those horrible events that took place on 9/11, I prayed two prayers from the Christ Church prayer book to the group who were present for the aircraft delivery celebration. The first prayer recited from the prayer book was the prayer “For Our Country.” The second prayer was “For those in the Armed Forces of our Country.”
The horrible events that took place seem like just yesterday, but we must not forget. I try to find the positive in all things, and sometimes it is very hard. It is a painful blessing that so many people from so many different walks of life have come together to make our world a better place. I pray that we never lose our passion and never find it politically incorrect to forget the toll and sacrifices that so many people paid long before us, which we still greatly benefit from today.
What might appear to some as just old books are much, much more. They reflect countless memories, dedication, and the sacrifice of others! I am certain that I can feel the heartbeat and tears in the pages of those old books of those who once held them in service to God, Country, and Family.
God Bless you and your family!
Written by KING AEROSPACE Founder, Jerry Allan King-Echevarria.