Earthquake Preparedness

The earthquakes and aftershocks in Puerto Rico prompted me to think about Mother's three-year habit. 

            The earthquake of September 3 of 2016, impacted my mother greatly. In response, to finding plates, dishes, and drinking glasses broken on her kitchen floor, she now takes her “earthquake precautions.” (See photo at right.)

Each evening, her final task in her kitchen cleanup continues to be placing a wooden spoon or scraper in each set of cabinet door handles. She speculates the wooden utensil would hold the cabinet doors closed in an earthquake measuring around 5.5 on the Richter scale. One can never accuse Mother of not thinking or planning.

With tongue in cheek, I say Mother recites this in her head, Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day an earthquake will come.” The accurate quote is from Matthew 24:42 “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.” Bottom line, she wants to be prepared, knowing she’s done all she can to protect her breakables.

I jest about her consistent, yet somewhat obsessive behavior. But Matthew 24:44 reminds us to be prepared for the return of Jesus. Its unscheduled nature requires us to be sure we have made a commitment to Jesus trusting Him to forgive our sins.

Jesus told several parables about trustworthiness with the missions, the responsibilities, and the talents we have been given. Mother has been blessed with a good mind and an insatiable desire to read. She reads primarily the Scriptures. This recalls the humorous response from a little girl about her great granny’s ardent Bible reading, “She’s studying for her finals.”

The woman who practices earthquake preparedness to protect her breakables also memorizes Biblical passages. Psalm 37: 31 says, “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide.” Standing stable, strong and having “no loose ends” in anticipation for  the return of Christ is a pretty good strategy for spiritual preparedness.

Another 95-year-old has been quoted as saying, “We should live our lives as though Christ was coming this afternoon.” The man was the 39^th president of the United States, Jimmy Carter.

Let’s listen and take heed to these two nonagenarians.