Shaken by 6.3!

I had texted my regular order ahead ‘1 trim latte with 2 sweeteners stirred pls J Liz’
(Liz is shorter than Elizabeth on a text.)

As I grasped the swinging door into the shop it hit! 6.3!

Without any warning, no rumble, no deep underground thump, not even the whisper we are all attuned to like a truck going passed, nothing just jerking, shuddering side to side wrenching of my wrist, arm, shoulder, body.
I am older; I wanted to stay on my feet. I clung to that door glancing up to see whether this comparatively new building would fall on me or shelter me. My decision really mattered!





The building held, Colombo Street Baptist next door collapsed.

(Photo taken through the window at Coffee Culture.)

I realised how unstable I was on that swinging door so prepared to launch myself onto a solid pipe bike stand nearby. As I let go an after shock kicked in. I grabbed again at the door not daring to move away.

I just clung on hardly knowing when it had stopped, the noise was so continuous; until Kylie, the sweet girl who so often serves my coffee, called urgently from inside, “Let us out, Liz!” This time I made it to the bike stand. I glimpsed the inside of the shop; the floor was littered with bottles. Yes, this was a bad one indeed.

People spilled out of the buildings around me. Some were crying, most stood stunned just looking around. There was a group having a big joint hug nearby, I wanted to join in. I texted the family that I was ok and how were they?

When I decided to go to the car and get home it surprised me to find my legs were trembling so much I could not walk properly.

SCARY!!!

PREPARATION?
I have thought since that experience on how did God, in His infinite foreknowledge, prepare me for what would happen that day? If He did prepare me for this shake then I missed it completely!

Looking back on what I had read & written in the time I had spent with Him that morning, I see I was reading through Joshua. I read chapter 21 choosing as my verse for the day verse 45 ‘All the good promises that the Lord had given Israel came true!’

I observed that throughout the history of Israel, even to the peace they seemed to have amongst themselves, at least 3,000,000 people, all promises came true!

I applied it to my life for that day that all the promises of God come true, time to ask for hard things!

How did this prepare me for 6.3?
Well I certainly was filled with trust in His faithfulness as I went into the day. Even if the veranda had fallen on me my trust was in Him. Even as my legs trembled so much I could hardly walk still He is trustworthy.

And living here now with over 5,000 aftershocks since 4^th September?

As someone said, you know you live in Christchurch when you sleep in one suburb, shower in another, collect water from another, go to the toilet where you can and smile at and greet people like you are one big family.