We planned our stay right at the end of my summer vacation, so our flight left San Francisco Saturday afternoon. On the way to the airport, one of our friends made a joke about the contingency plan for earthquakes written in the hotel room's notebook.
"It says to get under a table and hold onto the legs," he laughed. "So, I guess I'll be under the table madly flipping through pages trying to figure out what to do during an earthquake."
We all laughed.
This spawned a conversation about the last earthquake in San Francisco when my husband still lived in the Bay area, the damage done, etc. In those moments, the thought actually crossed my mind: wouldn't that be something if one were to happen while we're talking about it?
But our flight left that afternoon safely and without incident and we arrived home late that night.
Sunday morning the Napa earthquake hit. I couldn't believe it. It was surreal. I was thankful that we had escaped right before it hit. I was even more thankful that no one in the area died in the 6.1 quake.
Our friend who had traveled with us commented that "everyone in that area lives so precariously--never knowing when an earthquake might befall them." My husband, however, assured him that no one in San Francisco or the surrounding areas walked around fearing the next earthquake. They live their lives. And if one hits, they have preparedness plans in place.
It made me think about the fact that we all live somewhat "precariously." Earthquakes aren't the only disasters that befall areas, and we can't spend our days wondering what horrible things could happen and when. For those of us who trust in God, we turn to him, pray for safety, and leave it in his hands. All of us can take all kinds of safety measures (and should at times), but we can't see the future, and we can't really live out our lives if we're constantly fearing what terrible thing might happen next.
You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Isaiah 26:3 NIV
Song from the Ashes book tour stop number 3 is today at Georgina Troy's blog! You can read the interview HERE.
