Quake

I have never felt 
The shaking of an aftershock
Until today. 
At first,
I thought it was me
Until I realized
The rest of the team felt it too. 
My sister called, 
Sounding the part 
Of the younger sibling
For a change. 
I picked up my Bible
And headed for the bathroom,
But Lord, 
I don't remember if 
I prayed to You or not. 

Father,
The news reports
No deaths or injuries,
And for this we thank You. 
On behalf of
My panicky sister and cousin,
My sweetly oblivious aunt,
Adalheid, the king, the momma,
The Aussie, the team,
The company, the pets,
And everyone else unaffected,
I offer praise and thanksgiving. 
You did not allow
Disaster to consume us. 
Tonight, at least,
We will not know what it feels like
To wake up in
Northeastern Japan,
Or Haiti,
Or Joplin,
Or all the other places laid waste. 

Preserve us, O Lord,
Protect us from evil.
Grant us Your Grace
That we may sing all the day
Of Your Mercies. 

And when the day of affliction comes,
Strengthen us 
With the might of Your Arm,
And the steadfastness
Of Your Love!

A 5.8 earthquake shook Virginia, and projected aftershocks all along the Eastern seaboard. You can read more about it here:

http://m.cnn.com/primary/_lbIlvW-i7MAkdHw8J