On the morning of September 11th, 2001, I awoke to a loud ringing in my ears. It was the phone. One of the older widows in the church, Erma, was on the line telling me to turn on my TV. I did so just before the second plane hit the Twin Towers.

I hollered at Tom and opened Kati’s bedroom door, just a few yards away from where the den and television were located.

“Kati, come quick. We’re being attacked by terrorists.”

Kati was the oldest teenager living at home at the time, and the only one I’d awaken. I was glued to the television.

Panicked and barely awake, Kati rushed into the room to find Tom and I staring at the horror playing out on the TV screen.

Immediately, I went into mom mode. I gathered Kati in my arms and explained what was happening in New York.

When she finally quit shaking, she looked me in the eye and said, “Mom, I thought terrorists were attacking our house.”

I learned three things that morning

1. Terrorists can and will strike on American soil.

2. Be careful how you communicate with your children.

3. I need to be better prepared for such an event.

Now this isn’t a post about moving to the wilderness and living off the land. And I’m not going to tell you how to load and fire a weapon. If that is how you want to prepare for a terrorist attack, there are wiser people than I who can coach you on what to do and when.

My preparation is a thing of the heart … my stance of faith and strong grace to stand when everything around me would be falling apart.

The Nation of the Cross

In a terrorist attack last week, ISIS killed 21 Coptic Christians as a Message Signed in Blood to the Nation of the Cross.

The Nation of the Cross includes Christ followers from all over the world. Every flavor of Christianity is contained in that wording. It’s an unseen nation ruled by King Jesus, who is scheduled to arrive back on planet earth sometime soon.

Until then, we’ve been commissioned to spread the news of His coming to everyone else on earth, including ISIS. Even if they don’t like it. Even if they kill us.

4 things to do when a terrorist is about to behead you

Terrorism demands that fear and hopelessness rise up and be bigger in your mind and emotions than your faith.

Your mind is the battleground for your faith before it is ever challenged by ISIS or any other kind of terrorist group.

One of the best ways to prepare yourself is to rehearse in your imagination what you would focus on if you ever had to face death in a terrorist attack.

1. What Scripture would you play over and over in your head to keep calm?

2. What would your inner prayer be?

3. What would you say to your captors if given the chance?

4. What image would you bring to mind to focus on as you waited for the sword to fall?

Taking it to the next level

Discuss these steps with your kids so they will be prepared if their school ever comes under attack. Explain that these steps are in addition to whatever emergency procedures the school has already put in place for them.

I pray this never happens to those I love or to me. But if it does … I’ll be ready.

How about you? How would you answer these 4 questions? Share with us in the comment section below this post.

Helping you build your spiritual legacy, Susan
Oh, BTW … If you know one person whom you think would receive value from this post, then share it with them now.