Saturday, March 19, 2011

Unshaken


Picking Bluebells by Ernest Walbourne, English 1872-1927

The scene looks a little like the creek we played in as children, which ran behind our house.


Sympathy, by Riviere Briton,
British 1840-1920


 When disasters shake up every day life, it is good  to remain unshaken in faith. Among the causes of uncertainty are: things caused by our own lack of wisdom, things caused by other people, things caused by political powers, and natural disasters, which in past times were referred to as "acts of God."

The painting of the little girl on the stairs reminded me of the worst earthquake in the U.S. in 1964, measuring a point stronger than the tragic quake in Japan last week, but not lasting quite as long.  Many of us were in our homes when the quake occurred, and though we had been taught about what to do in case of an earthquake, it was impossible to comply with any of it.  This quake was so violent that we could not get down the stairs from our bedrooms.

We could hear our mother crying, "Earthquake!" but we could not get to her. It occurred on March 27, in the Prince William Sound area, measured 9.2 in magnitude, lasting 4 minutes, followed by a tidal wave. We did not make it out of the house. Aftershocks were felt for some time after that, and while feeling each tremor, we were reminded by our parents to put our trust in that which is unshaken.

By the Fireside, by Frank Holl, English 1845-1888

When you are being thrown from wall to wall or rocked back and forth, there is no time to think. You just want to put your feet on something that is not moving.

  Many of the men were still down at the harbor with their boats, and  we worried that they would not make it home, but they all arrived safely to their families.

Our town was not a largely populated one in 1964, and  we had no buildings above two storeys high, and almost every structure was wood or logs.  Our home, though swayed to and fro in a powerful way, was not damaged, and the only damage in other houses was broken glass and dishes which had come out of the shelves during the quake. 



The Letter, by Sydney Muschamp, English

When the tremors were gone, each member of the family told the others where they were at the time, what happened to them,  and what they were thinking.  All of us had remembered to pray to God for our safety, and in the case that we would not survive, that we would be in his eternal care.

When the terror ended, everyone looked around and took stock: each person in our large family of nine souls was accounted for as well as the Irish setter and the Manx.  The creek had changed in areas; the coastline and beach area was like a new land, as it had been altered so much by the quake. Paramount in all of this was the spiritual lives of the family, and others within our acquaintance.  That has, and always will be our priority, when the earth is shaken and when it is still. Although this quake occurred 40 years ago, every minute of it seems fresh in my memory.

The recent quake in Japan, which measured 9.0 on the scale, served to remind us again how helpless mankind is to save himself from violent disasters of the earth.  Anything on this earth can be shaken, destroyed, burned, buried, or swallowed up.    It is not possible to follow all the earthquake or tornado survival rules because people are thrown around too much to put emergency measures into practice. 

The Bible talks about the things of the earth which can be shaken, and compares them with the things that cannot be shaken.  People who are shaken will look to the things that are not shaken. The writer of Hebrews so aptly explained this concept when teaching of faith:


And this word,

Yet once more,

 signifieth the removing of those things that are shaken,

as of things that are made,

that those things which cannot be shaken

may remain.

 
Hebrews 12:27



*************************************************************************************************

Japanese Earthquake Relief Fund Through the church:

1. Whites Ferry Road church of Christ http://www.wfrchurch.org/
     3201 N. 7th St. West Monroe, Louisiana 71291

2. Helping Hands International   http://www.hhi.org/
    455 McNally Drive
    Nashville, Tennessee 37211

3. Park Avenue Church of Christ


ATTN: Dwight Albright

5295 Park Ave

Memphis TN 38119-3543

Phone: 901 682-1220

Email: 5295park@gmail.com

YOU CAN DONATE ONLINE

9 comments:

Lydia said...

A tornado came through and knocked off power for a few days here. A couple of harbors were destroyed in the following tidal waves after the Japan quake. I am finally getting caught up enough at home to blog. There is always a lot of work to be done after a power outage. I hope to get a generator and a wood stove before it happens again. In the country, this is a necessity.

Anonymous said...

Lydia,

if you're after a combustion stove, take a look at http://magdalenaperks.wordpress.com/2011/03/18/crofting-the-new-woodstove/

magdalena has just had installed what sounds like an excellent, reliable and affordable wood stove suited for cooking and baking. Variants can also provide a source of hot water.

Indeed, Upon the solid rock we stand...all other ground is sinking sand.

Its good to hear from you again.

Janet Westrup said...

Hi Lydia,
the first thing I did after I wiped the tears from my eyes for the Japanese people was to go outside and pick some pretty flowers and put them in a vase on my table. I straightened the house and sat at prayer and thanked the Lord for the safety of my family, church and country. Then I prayed for the people of Japan.
I remember what you said on an earlier post about being constructive and making your home pleasant. So I remembered the Lord is my rock and fortress, I dressed nicely, put music on, and baked something nice for my family. Keeping busy, Janet Westrup.

Lydia said...

We thought it was the end of the world. A few days after it was over, the fishing village we lived in received donations of supplies: food, clothing and other essentials. Churches are taking up collections to send for relief in Japan:

The Park Avenue church of Christ in TENNESSEE is sending funds and supplies. If you want to contribute, please send your donations to the following address:

Park Avenue Church of Christ
ATTN: Dwight Albright
5295 Park Ave
Memphis TN 38119-3543
Phone: 901 682-1220
Email: 5295park@gmail.com

Jacqui said...

A very inspiring post, thank you

Jacqui

Lydia said...

Jacqui, I always love hearing from people in England.

Lydia said...

We had a fireplace and a wood cook stove in those days so we were not handicapped in the recovery after the quake. We also had a creek where we could get water, plenty of metal buckets in which to heat it. Since our water was pumped from a well, we had no trouble recovering. It was not as devastating as places that were more populated and had more concrete around them, which buckled when the earth moved. We did see the ground opening and closing, which was a frightful experience.

Gail said...

I can only imagine how frightening it would be to see the earth opening and closing. I agree though, that sometimes it is better to live in the country.

SharonR said...

It's wonderful that your mother spoke to her children those words from the Bible. You have to know the Bible in order to quote it in times of emergencies like this and in times of temptations.