Loma Prieta Earthquake Anniversary

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." (Psalm 46:1-3)

The Loma Prieta earthquake occurred on October 17, 1989 at 5:04 p.m. It had a moment magnitude of 6.9 and a surface wave magnitude of 7.1. The duration was 15 to 20 seconds but the effects last many a life time.

Where were you during the earthquake? I was still working in my office, my husband was on a bus from downtown SF to the train station, and our little boy was with a baby sitter in our house. It wasn't until almost midnight that our family reunited under one roof.

Disaster can strike any time without notice. Someone in the Santa Cruz downtown shared her feeling on TV. When the earth shook under her feet, she realized nothing could be trusted. "I cannot trust anything, not even the earth I am standing on!"

If you feel insecure, examine your fears and anxiety. Are you trusting in something that is temporal and material, yet hoping that it will last forever? Who do you trust?

"Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10)

Copyright © 2006 Winnis Chiang, Parenting ABC