Aftershocks!

For what nation is is great enough to have a god as near to them as the Lord our God is to us whenever we call on Him? ( Deuteronomy 4:7) God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in times of trouble. ( Psalm 46:1)

Fortunately, I’ve never been in an earthquake or big tremor, but I have experienced the aftershocks of one and that can be scary as well. Aftershocks are actually smaller earthquakes which can occur in the same area as the larger one and can continue over a period of weeks, months, or even years. An aftershock usually results from sudden changes in stress occurring within and between rocks with the sudden change brought on by the principle earthquake.

It seems as though this country has been living through aftershocks since that fateful day twenty one years ago when we all sat in stunned silence and watched the horror of the attacks on our democracy unveil all around us. This was a day where I remember prayers being uttered everywhere, the skies deathly silent, people checking in with loved ones, tears being shed, military families gearing up to go into the service when needed, churches opening their doors for prayer, and a feeling of utter helplessness.

The aftershocks still affect us even after all these years when we come together to remember this day and to relive the events that changed our world forever. In a matter of three hours, our country, Americans, and our world as we knew it were changed forever.

We, as Christians, also experience aftershocks in our lives. The sudden loss of a family member or friend, a health issue that changes our life, or an unforeseen disappointment can shock us. The fact that storms still come into our lives even though we are following Jesus and obedient to His word is shocking to many Christians. When aftershocks hit, the negative way we sometimes react tends to say to others, “We always follow Jesus if He meets our expectations and needs.” The truth is we need to take Jesus as He is and not as we construe Him to be.

We also experience aftershocks when we feel that Jesus is sleeping and not answering our prayers. Just like the disciples during the storm when the situation looked hopeless, they hesitated to wake Jesus because they were sailors and He was a former carpenter. What sailor asks a carpenter for help on the seas? There’s a reason Jesus doesn’t rescue us when we are intent on rescuing ourselves. As long as we think we can handle it ourselves, He allows us to try. As a nation, we got upset with God thinking He was sleeping during the attack. We always seem to place the blame on Him when aftershocks come. He is to be the Pilot of our boat, not a passenger, but many times we tell him to get in the back of the boat, and we will call Him when we need Him.

We have aftershocks when God speaks to us. Jesus came up from the bottom of the boat and said three words, Peace be still. Those words calmed the winds and the seas. We think as the disciples did, What manner of man is this that even the winds and the waves obey Him? (Mark 4 :41) Jesus speaks in so many ways to us individually, as a group of believers, and in the midst of our troubles. Our job is to listen and obey.

This nation has never in my lifetime been more united than it was immediately after 911. We were experiencing the aftershocks of tragedy together, and we leaned on each other and most heavily on God. Aftershocks tend to bring us out of our self reliance and show us the way back to our faith.

Andrew Dorsey was a jazz musician from Atlanta in the 1920’s who gave up his career in jazz to concentrate on spiritual music. The depression years were hard on him trying to just survive as a musician. On top of that, many people didn’t accept his music calling it “the devil’s music’. Dorsey could laugh about that years later as he said, “I got kicked out of some of the best church’s in the land because of my music”. One night while in St. Louis, he received a telegram informing him that his pregnant wife had died. He could have wallowed in the aftershock of grief and self pity, but instead he turned to the thing he knew best, music, and he wrote these words.

Precious Lord, take my hand, Lead me on, let me stand. I am tired, I am weak, I am worn. Through the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light; Take my hand, Precious Lord, Lead me home.

As we remember that day, our prayer should be the words of Billy Graham as he said, “My prayer today is that we will feel the loving arms of God wrapped around us and that as we trust in Him, we will know in our hearts that He will never forsake us. And that this day will be a day that we will remember as a day of Victory.” God Bless America!