It's Easter Monday - April 21, 2014...In Easter service yesterday, our Pastor gave a sermon about earthquakes. When Jesus died, there was a great earthquake, when the Angel appeared, and life was forever changed. Christianity was born, people saw the power of God and realized everything they had been told in prophecies had come true. Pastor then talked about the earthquake in 2011. It was a strong earthquake, but there were no deaths or injuries. We were all changed, by the forces of nature that day. He then discussed the many ways angels visit all of us in our lives - the many "earthquakes" we've experienced which changed our lives. They're there in the birth of our children, in marriage proposals, in new job offers, the people we encounter who become new friends, the strangers we help...these are the small earthquakes, which change us, but don't turn our world upside down in a bad way. Then, we have the earthquakes which are devastating - deaths, divorce, abandonment and loss -the moments which leave us raw, bruised, numb and require us to rebuild from the ashes of dust and destruction.
I thought about what he was saying and remembered all my earthquake moments - all of them flooded my memory and some I had forgotten about until the sermon. One moment especially came back to me...and it happened when the earthquake hit DC - August 23, 2011.
Before the earthquake, I had separated from my husband, and started living on my own, with two kids, navigating life as a single mom. I had also someone someone new days before the quake hit. Then, that afternoon on August 23, once the ground stopped shaking and I realized what just happened, I sent him a text - very casual - saying, "think we just had an earthquake here". Every phone line was tied up, so trying to get a call to my kids wasn't easy. I was finally able to get a call through to my kids to make sure they were alright and once I calmed their nerves, I got off the phone to get back to work. I checked my phone and I had a text from the "new" guy asking if I was ok. He's a police officer in DC, and that day, after an earthquake, he stopped to check on me, when the city was alive with panic. He barely knew me, hadn't actually met me in person yet, but thought enough to see if how I was. Guess who didn't call or text right away? Yeah, you guessed it. The soon to be ex hubby at the time claimed I was the only person in the world he cared about and loved so much, and was trying to win me back, but yet, I wasn't one of the first people he called or texted. That moment made me remember that actions speak louder than words...and it opened my eyes even more to the harsh reality that was my ending marriage. It was a moment like this one that kept me focused on the fact that divorcing this man was the best thing I could do for myself and for my kids. It was a true earthquake moment.... and I'm glad it happened. That amazing, person and I went on our first date on Aug 24, 2011, and we've been inseparable ever since. :)
