God is our protection and our strength.
    He always helps in times of trouble.
So we will not be afraid if the earth shakes,
    or if the mountains fall into the sea.
We will not fear even if the oceans roar and foam,
    or if the mountains shake at the raging sea. Selah
Psalm 46:1-3 (ICB)*

All Shook Up

The sky was dark evil with sin
inked in the devil’s black pen
he thought he had finally won
a hard fought war of ages done.

But death had not overcome yet
salvation hung in the balance
mocking, jeering and weeping of men
would only endure for a moment.

The earth shook with a violent jolt
light flooded the morning as the stone
opened the tomb resurrection was born
the glory of Jesus Christ’s risen form!

Now in humble thanksgiving I bow
my heart of stone rolled open revealed
two-thousand years Your love endures
giving salvation through Your word.

And I, Your daughter, bear Your name
because of the sacrifice You made
I’m so grateful, yet, my words don’t contain
the depth of my love for my God, my King. 

~Marcell Warner Bridges
©25 November 2016
All Rights Reserved.

It began with a rumble that soon turned into a shaking I’d never felt in my life.

My family and I had just moved to a new home in San Diego. The only bed in the house ready to sleep in was my parents’ bed. My sister, her best friend, and I lay on the floor sleeping in what would eventually be the dining room.

Around 3 a.m. our dog Fluffy began to bark and a few minutes later the rumbling and tumbling began. The house shook violently. I could feel the floor rolling beneath me like ocean waves and as I peeked out from beneath the pillow I had stuck over my head, I eyed the chandelier directly above me swaying back and forth while the walls looked like paper rippling in the wind.

I don’t think in my 14 years of life I had ever been so terrified. All I could do was cry out to God, “Please don’t let that chandelier fall on me Lord!”

An eternity passed. When it stopped all three of us girls were crying. Mom and dad came running out to make sure we were  okay.

Later we would find out it was a magnitude 6.5 scale earthquake. The aftershocks for the next few days jolted at 3 – 3.5’s.

Earthquakes happen on a moment’s notice. There is no preparation for them. We are told what to do during one; but, unlike tornadoes or hurricanes, we cannot predict the earthquake before it happens.

Quite a metaphor for life, isn’t it? The unpredictability of the future is scary. We never know when something will shake our world. Whether it be the death of a loved one, a broken heart, a broken relationship, or the sudden feeling like everything has turned upside down simply because of an identity crisis; whatever it may be, it is sudden and overwhelming. The jolt of it is enough to stick a pillow over our head and stay there.

The good news is, Jesus is ready to come to our aid. It was an earthquake that opened His tomb so He could rise from the dead and stand ready on a moment’s notice to be right where we are and to cradle us as we weep. He knows how we feel. Jesus alone knows our sorrows and how to comfort us.  

From My Heart to Yours,

Marcie

*Taken from the International Children’s Bible (ICB), BibleGateway.com

Where is God when my world is shaking and quaking?

Jesus knows how we feel and is ready to comfort us in times of need