It happened on Tuesday, August 23, just two days ago. My nine-year-old son and I were standing in the foyer of our house at about 1:55 pm. He was holding his piano lesson books, and I was holding the keys and my purse. We were arguing about piano books. I thought he only had been given two and he was insisting on three. It was only his second lesson, and since the first one was here, we had never been to the teacher's home. She lives on the nearby military base and we had agreed she'd meet us near the gate and escort us in with her ID. We were supposed to be there at 2:10. I was yelling at Joel, "Now is not the time to be thinking of a missing book!"
In a split second, my first thought was, "Reilly must really be upset about me yelling. He's rattling his crate!" Then I noticed the large picture in the foyer trembling. Then it felt like the whole house was shaking, so my second thought was, "Loud thunder on a sunny day?!" Thunder under our feet, not just the walls? Living close to the proving ground, I had a third thought, "They're really testing a big one today!" and in a fourth thought, "Terrorism!" and in a fifth thought, "Earthquake?!" It happened so fast and Joel got a really scared look on his face.
"Let's get out of here, Mom!" So we did. Neighbors were on their front lawns. We all said the same thing, "What was THAT?" and all concluded an earthquake. How weird! On the East Coast!
The cell phones were jammed. I couldn't get through to my husband or kids, so I texted. That went through! Sarah was in a meeting for student teachers, and the menfolk were at work. Paul's office building shook so badly the fire alarm went off and everyone made a beeline for the exit. Things were falling off shelves there. The shaking at his office lasted a good 30 seconds, and got more violent as it went on. Steve didn't feel anything where he was, but doesn't know why. Sarah said one teacher had just been told by a fellow teacher to please stop shaking her leg, so she did, and yet the shaking continued.
We got to what I thought was the correct entry gate on post. It was closed. I told Joel, "This close to DC, I bet they're on high alert." Come to find out, I had my directions wrong. The teacher's mom (and good friend of mine) came and met us at the correct place. A previous student's mom had been there during the quake and she started yelling, "Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming!"
You know, that thought crossed my mind, too. But scientists confirmed it was indeed an earthquake whose epicenter was in southern Virginia but whose effects were felt as far south as the Carolinas and as far north as New Jersey. For me, I always thought I'd be super scared during an earthquake. I wasn't. I was uneasy, unsettled, because it just felt weird. We live in Maryland, not California! We have other natural phenomena here often, but this was our first earthquake ever. Weird.
A funny email I received the next day said the quake was "our founding fathers rolling over in their graves." I heard things like "Obama's Fault" who said no, Bush's Fault, or the sound of a 14.6 billion dollar check bouncing. Gotta love the humorists in the crowd, keeping it light.
And now that a Category 3 hurricane (Irene) is threatening the East Coast in the next few days, I am wondering. Am I ready? I don't mean materially or mentally, but spiritually. Am I prepared to meet my Maker? Absolutely! My faith is not shaken by these natural "disasters" or threats thereof.
Am I prepared for a flood? Not really. Power outages? Sort of. Am I worried about either? No. Call me naive or too trusting, but I believe God is going to shelter us and provide for our every need. He always does. Even if He leads us all the way Home while our earthly home crumbles or washes out to sea, we will be safe in His arms.
Besides, I have a birthday to celebrate Friday and, if nothing else, we have cupcakes and bottled water to survive on.
In a split second, my first thought was, "Reilly must really be upset about me yelling. He's rattling his crate!" Then I noticed the large picture in the foyer trembling. Then it felt like the whole house was shaking, so my second thought was, "Loud thunder on a sunny day?!" Thunder under our feet, not just the walls? Living close to the proving ground, I had a third thought, "They're really testing a big one today!" and in a fourth thought, "Terrorism!" and in a fifth thought, "Earthquake?!" It happened so fast and Joel got a really scared look on his face.
"Let's get out of here, Mom!" So we did. Neighbors were on their front lawns. We all said the same thing, "What was THAT?" and all concluded an earthquake. How weird! On the East Coast!
The cell phones were jammed. I couldn't get through to my husband or kids, so I texted. That went through! Sarah was in a meeting for student teachers, and the menfolk were at work. Paul's office building shook so badly the fire alarm went off and everyone made a beeline for the exit. Things were falling off shelves there. The shaking at his office lasted a good 30 seconds, and got more violent as it went on. Steve didn't feel anything where he was, but doesn't know why. Sarah said one teacher had just been told by a fellow teacher to please stop shaking her leg, so she did, and yet the shaking continued.
We got to what I thought was the correct entry gate on post. It was closed. I told Joel, "This close to DC, I bet they're on high alert." Come to find out, I had my directions wrong. The teacher's mom (and good friend of mine) came and met us at the correct place. A previous student's mom had been there during the quake and she started yelling, "Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming!"
You know, that thought crossed my mind, too. But scientists confirmed it was indeed an earthquake whose epicenter was in southern Virginia but whose effects were felt as far south as the Carolinas and as far north as New Jersey. For me, I always thought I'd be super scared during an earthquake. I wasn't. I was uneasy, unsettled, because it just felt weird. We live in Maryland, not California! We have other natural phenomena here often, but this was our first earthquake ever. Weird.
A funny email I received the next day said the quake was "our founding fathers rolling over in their graves." I heard things like "Obama's Fault" who said no, Bush's Fault, or the sound of a 14.6 billion dollar check bouncing. Gotta love the humorists in the crowd, keeping it light.
And now that a Category 3 hurricane (Irene) is threatening the East Coast in the next few days, I am wondering. Am I ready? I don't mean materially or mentally, but spiritually. Am I prepared to meet my Maker? Absolutely! My faith is not shaken by these natural "disasters" or threats thereof.
Am I prepared for a flood? Not really. Power outages? Sort of. Am I worried about either? No. Call me naive or too trusting, but I believe God is going to shelter us and provide for our every need. He always does. Even if He leads us all the way Home while our earthly home crumbles or washes out to sea, we will be safe in His arms.
Besides, I have a birthday to celebrate Friday and, if nothing else, we have cupcakes and bottled water to survive on.
4 comments:
Wow, that must have been really strange! I can't imagine. I got chills when I read the next to last paragraph, "but I believe God is going to shelter us and provide for our every need." Amen! Our only hope rests in God.
WILD!!!
I'm so glad you are all okay!
"The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to its foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake."
I just came from doing my weekly shopping at the market and it was a zoo. Not a battery in sight : ) It is such a gorgeous day todaay it's hard to believe we'll be in a hurricane by Sunday morning. I'm praying it heads out to sea but am prepared with gas in my car, bottled water, a little cash, groceries and chocolate : )
My daughter in DC said everyone immediately thought terrorism which is a sad sign of the times.
Happy Birthday!!
So thankful you are safe.
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