Shaken, Not Stirred

On February 29 I received a phone call about 9:30am. It was Craig telling me that he was on his way home from work - with all of his "stuff" and his final pay check. The news of the layoff was a shock and that morning we felt like our world had turned upside down. As the day went on and we prayed, processed and came up with a game plan, we reminded each other than nothing major in the universe had shifted. And if we felt "upside down" after this news, well, amen and thanks for the wake-up call because we weren't right side up anyway.

I said to the LORD, "You are my Lord;
apart from you I have no good thing."
I have set the LORD always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
Psalm 16:2,8

Interestingly enough, that very same day a series of earthquakes began in our area. The epicenter is about 6 miles from our home. While they were mostly small quakes, I estimate that we were noticing 2-4 a week for the first several weeks of the dozens that were being recorded each day.

Thursday afternoon, just minutes after my kids got home from school, we had two pretty big ones close together, along with a few decent aftershocks. Friday afternoon, another big one hit while Annie and I were sitting in our home office, each in front of our computer. But Friday night, we experienced the biggest quake (so far) in recorded Nevada history - a 5.0. I remember the Loma Prieta quake vividly and even though this one was quite the 6.9 from '89 I think this one felt stronger to me because we were so much closer.

Though the mountains be shaken
and the hills be removed,
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken
nor my covenant of peace be removed,"
says the LORD, who has compassion on you.
Isaiah 54:10

A couple hours after the kids were comforted and back asleep, Craig and I finally were able to fall asleep again. When morning came it was time to survey the damage. A quick glance around our bedroom revealed several things that had fallen off a shelf but only one broken figurine, a picture frame that had fallen and landed on my jewelry armoire but had not shattered, and a dresser with every drawer open but that had not fallen over.

Heading downstairs I surveyed my cookie jar collection. Tigger had bounced off the top shelf of a three-tiered display and landed on several others. A decorative plate in the kitchen lost. A bathroom sink-full of the entire contents of medicine cabinet. Not too bad - no major losses or damage. I opened the office door and looked inside. A few things had fallen off my bookshelf and landed on my desktop or the floor but then I looked over at the kids computer area. One of the shelves from above their desk had landed in the very chair where Annie had been sitting the previous afternoon. Sure, I'm sorry about the figurine from our wedding cake top and my Tigger cookie jar but NONE of my most precious treasures had been harmed.

My soul finds rest in God alone;
my salvation comes from him.

He alone is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken. (emphasis mine)
Psalm 62:1-2