I feel the sky tumbling down
I feel my heart start to trembling
Whenever you’re around… – Carole King
South central Alaska was reminded yesterday afternoon that we live in earthquake territory. A quake registering 5.8 on the Richter scale hit at 4:42 p.m. AST. They say it was the strongest quake to hit the Anchorage area in a number of years. While many people in the Anchorage area felt this quake, no major damage was reported and people rapidly went on about their business.
I am told we experience earthquakes every day, but never feel most of them. Although we don’t feel them, these quakes are always occurring causing significant changes to the earth beneath us. Most of us never really think about earthquakes since the impact of them is rarely significant in our lives. But, on Easter weekend in 1964, Alaska was devastated by one of the worst earthquakes on record. A magnitude 9.2 quake destroyed parts of Anchorage and the resulting Tsunamis were responsible for over a hundred deaths and millions of dollars in property damage.
On that Easter weekend in 1964, thousands of people’s lives were turned upside down by the earthquake. Their lives were changed, their attentions diverted, their purposes re-directed. They were moved. They experienced a SEE (Significant Emotional Event). The energy and effort expended by Alaskans in the days following that quake was truly impressive. The rescue, clean-up, and re-building efforts demonstrated by friends and neighbors showed our true frontier spirit and a genuine concern for our fellow man. But, the adrenaline rush and the excitement soon wore off as we returned to our “normal” routines and resumed our daily lives.
What would our lives be like if we could capture that same adrenaline rush and keep that type of enthusiasm all the time? Maybe we would feel like Carole King’s lyrics:
Oh, darling, when you’re near me
And you tenderly call my name
I know that my emotions
Are something that I just can’t tame
I’ve just got to have you, baby
I just lose control
Down to my very soul
I get hot and cold all over
I feel the earth move under my feet
I feel the sky tumbling down
Tumbling down
Tumbling down
Carole King was writing about the feeling of being in love and the magical impact it has on us – the excitement and passion in our lives when we think of the love of our life. What a wonderful thing to ponder – that we could have that feeling every day of our lives! The good news is that you can!
What could possibly give you that exhilarating feeling of ecstasy and joy? Who could possibly offer the kind of love which makes the earth move under your feet every day and leave you eagerly anticipating another quake? The One that created the earth and everything on it. The One who loves us so much He came down to earth in human form to shed His own blood to cover our sins and bring us back to Him. The One whose birthday will be celebrated by countless people around the world this month.
God loves you with a passionate, sacrificial, and unconditional love. The evidence of His love is clearly seen in John 3:16. He loved us so much He humbled Himself to come to earth in human form to save us. Jesus loves you with a love that moves heaven and earth. If you want to experience that kind of love; if you want to feel your earth move and your heart bursting with pure joy and the ecstasy of truly being in love, all you need do is accept Jesus’ offer of forgiveness and ask Him to be the love of your life. Why wait? Tis the season…