I met Thomas Butler in Navy bootcamp and I couldn't have made it through without his sense of humor and his honor as he stood up for me. I wrote a poem in his honor. I hope it does not offend anyone.
I could not believe my eye's as I watched the news. My world was being attacked and there was nothing that I could do. I watched for days on end, searching for news of my friend. When I finally saw his name among the missing, I could not understnad. Why did God allow this to happen on his own land? There were many sleepless nights and tear filled days. For weeks I walked around in a haze. I felt betrayed by the one I counted on the most. I needed answers from the Father, the son, the Holy Ghost. One night as I was laying in my bed, I envisioned Ground Zero in my head. I was walking all alone in the rubble, wondering what had brought on all this trouble. Suddenly an angel appeared and started to speak to me. He told me the story of how this all came to be. He said that Satan had started this war. He warned God a few days before. He was looking to expand Hell even bigger than Heaven. He planned to kill one thousand times seven. God told the angel to gather the kindest, the best and the strong. The angel called the people there with Heaven's song. He sang to their spirit and by the thousands they came. Knowing their fate, the angel felt he was to blame. He asked God why take the good and not the evil. God said he knew that the fate of their families would be hard on his people. But the devil did not win, you see, he got only eight. Thousands came to Heaven's gate. The families would know where the kind people went. They knew without a doubt that their loved ones were not hell bent. They would know that by being in Heaven, they would see them again. That one thought alone would help them bear their pain. So, the angel said to me, God did not forsake them in their hour of need. He took only the best, not out of greed. He took the one's that would be reunited with their families. It was at that point that I dropped down on my knees. I begged the angel to ask God to forgive me for doubting him. He placed his hand upon my head, leaned in close and whispered very dim, "There is no need to ask forgiveness for asking all these questions from our Lord, So long as you hear the answer and spread it to the world.
Tracy Beissel-Coppell, Texas