shaken, but not stirred

..MAY 8, 2007..

at 2.30am yesterday, the earth shook. it lasted an intimidating 15-seconds. but i was not scared, really. as i lay there by myself, three things came to mind.

1. i uttered a prayer for my parents who were just by the next door. i asked for God's protection to be upon them.
2. the construction!! of all the things, i could think about, my thoughts were racing: were the foundations built strong enough to stand any more earthquakes? was their work futile? after these shaking, would the posts still be secure? would the architect / foreman notice any changes? what if the ground shook again after a few years? will it be sturdy? or will it have the same fate as the hotel in Baguio which fell after a major quake?
3. uh-oh. what have we done again? forgive the sins of our nation, Lord. forgive us for every abominable sin we committed. have mercy on us.

so, no. it was not your near-death-experience-my-entire-life-is-flashing-before-me. it's a reminder that once again, we have no control of our lives. that Someone greater has our lives in His hands.


epilogue:
that same day, the earth shook again at around 10.30pm.