I felt the earth move beneath my feet last Tuesday. Literally. Despite the fact that I was 250 miles removed from the epicenter of last week’s earthquake in Mineral, VA, I still felt its tremor. Its duration indicated to me that it was something more than just my imagination. My first thought was to attribute the shaking to Ft. Bragg. Their routine operations are sometimes accompanied by large booms that usually rattle the walls of my home. My second thought was one very loosely tied to the “rapture,” but after a minute’s worth of shaking and no trumpet sound, I moved forward with my third thought—call Billy.
“Billy, did you feel that?”
“Feel what?”
“That shaking. Honey, I think we’ve had an earthquake.”
“Do you want me to come home?”
“No. I’ve survived worse. Forget I called.”
Figures. Billy and I are rarely on the same page when it comes to noticing things. Accordingly, I called my son who attends the university just miles from our home. I received a similar response from him, although he made no offers to come home and check on me. Then I called my mom. Same story. Thinking, perhaps, that I did imagine it, I went to the one place where all good researchers go when looking for reliable information.
I logged onto Facebook.
Pu-leezeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Well, it was a start; a fairly good one this time around. At least my friend Shirley directed me to turn on the news where, in fact, I did learn that an earthquake with a 5.8 magnitude had occurred. Not in Fayetteville, but rather 250 miles to the north in Virginia.
Wow. Some earthquake, some shaking, some kind of deep quaking beneath the surface of the earth that it would reach this far. What kind of tremor does that? I know. Those of you on the West Coast are laughing at us; go ahead. Call me when a hurricane threatens your seaboard. I’ve got it all over you on that one. I suppose we’ve all got some shaking, some wind, some storm threatening its witness in our lives, do we not? Better not to compare; better to live prepared!
Which brings me back around to a thought about the earthquake of last week. A good thought. I have my Ohio friend, Juanita, to thank for it. She didn’t know she was supplying it to me; her experience (some 450 miles northwest of the epicenter) spurred me along in my thinking. After talking with my husband, son, and mother and receiving no back-up support regarding the tremor I’d just experienced, I called Juanita to report the news.
“Guess what, friend? I’ve just survived my first earthquake!”
“Really? Me, too!”
“You, too?”
“Yes, I felt it here as well.”
“Where were you when it happened?”
“I was sitting out on my back porch, being still and enjoying the summer afternoon, when I felt the cement slab beneath my feet begin to shake.”
Instantly, I knew. I got it. I understood the reason why she and I felt the tremor and others did not.
We were both being still in the moments preceding its arrival. She on her porch; me on my couch. Think about that for a moment, and let it sink deeply into your heart. You could probably preach the sermon from this point forward, but in case you’re getting a slow start to your thought processes this week, I’ll offer you mine.
What lies beneath—the quaking, trembling, soul-stirring shakings of our hearts—often go unnoticed when we are consumed by the quaking, trembling, earth-stirring shakings of our world. When the noise in our external becomes too loud, too busy, too full of the clanging, clamoring cymbals of temporal value, we are prone to missing the whispers of the eternal. Whispers that, when heard, have the capacity to shake us, wake us, and move us to a place of unparalleled intimacy with God. If we never take the time to be still before the Lord, we run the risk of excluding his voice from our everyday doings.
Rarely will God interrupt our busyness with his insistence. Not that he isn’t speaking, isn’t always presenting himself to us throughout our days so that he might better be known by his children. But rather, God sometimes best reveals himself to our hearts in quiet places of contemplation—moments when we slow down, sit down, and allow our minds room enough and time enough to pause and consider life beyond the externals … the “what and who” that lie beneath our surface.
If we could get this, Christian, if we could see the value of our “beneath,” then Facebook wouldn’t be able to contain the amount of first-hand reports of the soul-quakes happening across our nation. Facebook (as my boys like to say) would blow-up with the witness of the Lord Jesus Christ. So would the news channels. So would the phone lines. If all of us would be willing to take the time to tend to our quietness instead of lending all our time to the noisiness in our lives, then the soul-shaping, heart-stirring work of the Lord would go forth in manifold measure.
God’s shaking, God’s quaking, and God’s tremors not only would be felt in Mineral, VA, in Navarre, OH, and in Fayetteville, NC, but also in and around the place that you call home. The magnitude would far exceed a 5.8 on the Richter scale, because God’s magnitude quakes eternally. There’s no measuring his impact. There are no borders to contain his witness. He’s just that big and beyond and so much more than we’re willing to cede to him on any given day.
And this, my friends, is a great tragedy. To live with less of Jesus is to never really live at all. To stay stuck at Ground Zero without ever considering the “what and who” of our beneath, is to live temporarily, without focus and without an anchor. What is seen above is limited to fixed parameters. What is seen below? Well, his depth is limitless, tethered to the eternal—the Epicenter of all humanity. Tap into that kind of understanding and the earth breaks open with the truth of the kingdom!
Would you take some time to get quiet before the Lord this week so that you might feel the tremors of home? It’s time to give God room enough and time enough in your day to shake you so that you might awaken to the reality of your “beneath,” and so that when friends call you and ask, “Did you feel that?” you can respond with your “Yes, I felt it as well.”
What truth and understanding are ours as children of the Most High God! Be still, and know that he is God. As always,
Peace for the journey,
~elaine
Yes! You have explained and illustrated a great truth here, Elaine! It's one of the reasons that as a rule I leave myself plenty of "margins" in my life. I want to be ready to sense and perceive the heartbeats of God Himself!
You are SO right. Thanks for you able expression and challenge.
I love you, Sister.
How can we hear that still quiet voice unless we quiet ourselves as well, huh? Oh, how we need those quiet moments with our Lord.
By the way, love your news source — facebook 🙂 I turn there, too, when something's afoot 🙂
Have a great week!
Oh that is something I need to do! Even when I'm resting, I fail many times to get quiet before the Lord. Thanks for the challenge, Elaine!
You have no idea how relevant this is to me right now…no idea!
YES. Being still. SO hard to do. (and yes, I laughed at the poor east coasters and their quake – but Irene, of course, is another issue)
Wonderful analogy, of course!
wifeforthejourney:
What a profound thought to start my day with – especially when my day has been another "hit the ground moving" kind of day. Without stillness, I can miss God at work.
To this point in my day, I must confess the only "tremors" in me are that I didn't eat anything much before leaving the house this morning. God may have moved the whole eastern seaboard again this morning and I've missed it somewhere between the elementary school, the hospital, Walgreen's and the church office.
Thank you for your faithful promptings to be still before the Lord today!
Love you,
~ Billy
Sorry, husband. Should have run to Walgreens for you, but I'm glad I didn't have to. You're the best!
~wife for the journey
i was in fayetteville throughout this past week, chauffeuring my mother-in-law to daily appointments following a small brain bleed that affected her vision.
I prayed for you @ the Market Square when we drove downtown to her hair appointment
I was driving her to chapel hill when the earthquake occurred, so I did not feel its power; however, my sister-in-law was working at her computer (which shook along with her desk chair…she knew it was NOT Ft. Bragg, also)
Great post
Have a wonderful week; when I'm back in F'ville for longer, maybe we can meet up somewhere for coffee or lunch 😉
A much needed post, sweet friend. After a very hectic, frustrating, worrisome day, I've had to make myself pause, pray, and regain some sense of calm.
Why is it that we always seem to have time to work ourselves up into a frenzy, yet we rarely take time to pursue God? He is our ultimate source of comfort and peace.
Hug your sweet family for me…consider yourself hugged, too!
What a great visual of what God meant when He said "Be still and know that I am God". Such a good message for me today Elaine. I find it's fairly easy to scurry around a lot…even when I'm not accomplishing much. But it's sometimes so hard to just sit and be still and wait on God!
I pray many blessings come your way today!
Marilyn
Thanks for the truth of your post and to be reminded to be still before Him and listen to what He is saying. May the "earth break open with the truth of His kingdom" soon. I'm glad your were safe in the earthquake and learned a great lesson.
Wonderful post, I love how you illustrated this with the earthquake, It's true isn't it how can we hear if we never are still. Great reminder for today.
"tend to our quietness." Just put a smile on my heart today…something I truly was thirsting for. take care dear one.
To be sensitive to His moving… to hearing His whispers. Oh, let it move me!
Love the analogy. You can preach from where you are. Literally and figuratively. Meaning that your place in this world is so different than mine and you have your experience to share. You will speak of how God moves in earthquakes and hurricanes and breast cancer… and I will speak out of gray seasons and depression and gardens.
This is really deep, Elaine. Not very many would be able to put a spiritual equation the way you did. Being still when the shaking comes enables us to perceive it. Inner stillness will somehow always contribute to spiritual sensitivity.
Just like the sons of Issachar, who understood the times and therefore knew what to do… we all need to cultivate the habit of being still before God, that we may hear His still small voice when He speaks.
Thank you for this beautiful post, Elaine.
Love
Lidj
Just what I need…some quiet time…and away from the computer! LOL
Beautiful. So praying for those "God’s shaking, God’s quaking, and God’s tremors: in my own life friend. Why is it so hard to sit still???? If only my mind would corporate!! Working on it…
Living in His Embrace~Pamela
Exactly. 🙂
I hadn't thought of that Elaine, but you're right… I was being quiet when the earthquake happened as well, however when I spoke to others who were "out and about", some didn't even realize it had happened. We live in a busy, noisy world, and in some cases that does distract us from God's attempts to "shake us up".
Sounds like one more good reason to "be still…" 🙂
Have a Blessed Day my friend!
Since James died, I fill up my evenings so that by the time I get into bed, I'm exhausted and am ready for sleep. I've stopped reading my Bible, meditating on God's word and praying to Him at night. My mornings, however, are still my time to talk to God as I drive the 40 minutes into town. This morning, I told God I needed to get back to being still at night and filling my evenings with Him. He answers me through you, my friend. Thank you.
XOXOXO,
Brenda
Being a girl raised in SoCal I lived through my fair share of earthquakes ranging up to 7.4 but none of those has compared to the shaking and trembling that I have withstood in the 8 months since my husband's passing.
The Lord does have much to say when we are able to quiet ourselves before Him, yet if I am totally honest, I have struggled so with allowing my heart to get that quiet!
Again Elaine, our Lord has used you to speak to the hearts of a restless world!!!
Blessings
Amazing truth here. Too bad it took a literal shaking of the earth to drive it home for us! lol
I often think, "I don't have time to be still." But after reading these thoughts, I really don't have time not to, do I? How much have I missed being so busy?
I felt it, too! I have never been in an earthquake before, so it was just weird!
That tremor was so strange to feel in our area, first ever that i've felt.
i love it!