A 9-11 Story: How Hope Found Redemption One Tuesday Morning

Todd Starnes.com ^ | September 11, 2016 | Todd Starnes

[Kaslin]

My friend Karen Kingsbury, the New York Times best-selling author, sent me the most wonderful suggestion for a story the other day.

It’s about woman named Hope Painter, from Lebanon, Pennsylvania and her nine-year old son, Kingston.

Hope was in Lower Manhattan on that fateful Tuesday morning - 15 years ago.

She was being evacuated when the second plane hit the World Trade Center towers. She saw things - unspeakable things - that caused her unimaginable trauma.

The days turned into weeks and the weeks turned into months yet Hope was unable to escape from the memories of September 11, 2001.

Years later, someone gave her a copy of Karen’s novel about the events of that day - called, “One Tuesday Morning.” It’s a story about sacrifice and redemption.

That book saved Hope’s life. She was finally able to emerge from the shadows of where those two towers once stood.

Now, some folks might wonder how a novel - a work of fiction - could have such a dramatic impact on a person’s life. To truly understand the answer to that, you should consider reading a Karen Kingsbury novel.

When Kingston was about five-years-old, she told him about “One Tuesday Morning” - about how that book made such a profound impact on her life.

So moved, the little boy felt compelled to use his birthday money to buy a few copies of Karen’s book.

On the anniversary of the attacks, he joined his mother at Ground Zero and gave the books away to strangers.

Every person he encountered received a book, a smile, and a handwritten note:

“Jesus told me to give you this book. Always remember…God loves you always. Love, Kingston.”

And oh, the stories that have resulted from those Divine encounters.

Karen tells me that one lady had her hand on a friend’s name at the 9-11 Memorial when suddenly she felt a child tapping on her arm. It was Kingston.

“The woman read the book all the way home and the clouds of darkness lifted,” Karen said. “Once home, she looked me up and wrote to me. She said she had never heard of me before and wondered if I could help her find the little boy.”

“She said the book changed her life,” Karen told me.

Three years later, Kingston is still using his birthday money to buy copies of that book and on Sunday he will once again make the trek to Lower Manhattan with his mother.

But this time, the little boy will be giving away nearly 300 books. You see, Karen told her readers about Kingston’s project and they generously donated additional copies.

Among those donating a case of books was the lady Kingston first encountered two years ago at the Memorial.

“Kingston loves New York City and he doesn’t want anyone to be hurting the way I was hurting before I read Karen’s book,” Hope said. “He believes the book will help anyone. The way it helped me.”

On Sunday in the midst of great sorrow and sadness a little boy will share a story of rebirth - a story of how Hope found redemption one Tuesday morning.

[Guenevere]

I’m very tired this morning, I know, but I’m having trouble following this?

[YepYep]

May be a bit difficult to follow; but goodness, generosity, and hope are always worth celebrating, especially today.

[garyb]

Mr. Starnes’ story needs some editing.

At first I had though that Kingston was 9 and was with his mother at the Twin Towers.

Then he is five, and giving out books a few years ago. Now he is nine?

Kingston and Kingbury? No, not the same person (my bad)

Invalid pronoun reference in the 9th paragraph where “When Kingston was about five-years-old, she told him about “One Tuesday Morning” ... but the most previous “she” listed is “Karen Kingsbury novel” I mentally referenced she back to Kingsbury not to the “Hope” two sentences before.

Rather that saying, you need to read the books to know what is in them, a brief synopsis of the “One Tuesday Morning” might have been helpful?

Here is the non-brief synopsis of the book:

http://www.karenkingsbury.com/onetuesdaymorning

I’m a firefighter, God, so I know I’ve been in some tough places before. But this . . . this not knowing the people I love . . . this is the hardest thing I can imagine.

The last thing Jake Bryan knew was the roar of the World Trade Center collapsing on top of him and his fellow firefighters. The man in the hospital bed remembers nothing. Not rushing with his teammates up the stairway of the south tower to help trapped victims. Not being blasted from the building. And not the woman sitting by his bedside who says she is his wife.

Jamie Bryan will do anything to help her beloved husband regain his memory, and with it their storybook family life with their small daughter, Sierra. But that means helping Jake rediscover the one thing Jamie has never shared with him: his deep faith in God. Jake’s fondest prayer for his wife is about to have an impact beyond anything he could possibly have conceived.

One Tuesday Morning is a love story like none you have ever read: tender, poignant, commemorating the tragedy and heroism of September 11 and portraying the far-reaching power of God’s faithfulness and a good man’s love.