I know that not everything has a meaning to it, but at least everything has a reason to it.
Nothing on earth can happen with the permission of God, so if what happened in Japan and Hawaii is so big, is that like a sign or somthing to be prepared for the Coming?
I am so anxious and all of thats been happening since January 1st.
For the past 3 years or so, my saying has been "Anything can happen in anytime, especially the time we least expect it." I been telling my self that so much, that I have made myself lose my inner peace just thinking about all that could happen.
Is there a reason to be worried?
And if Christ will come soon, and we don't know it, and we are not prepared, what will happen?
I have faith in God so much and I don't doubt God or even think twice about what I have learned about him, but if Christ will come so suddenly, will he even save us before we are judged and he says either "I don't know you" or "You are my beloved and rightous son, come follow me to the kingdom of heaven"?
Please Please PFM, for I am a HUGE sinner.
CopticStrength
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do you remember what Jesus was doing in the boat just before He calmed the storm? (matthew 8:23-27)
He was sleeping! yes, sleeping! He was so chilled out that even being in a small boat about to sink was not enough to wake Him up!
that is why He said 'my peace is not as the world gives' as it's really different.
and what did saint Peter do when he realised he lost God's peace? he yelled and Jesus pulled Him out of the sinking water.
so, 'nothing can separate us from the love of God' and even if our faith is not so great, we need to call on God and He will help us. so whether your house falls on your head and you are dying, or your loved ones leave you, or the end of the world comes near; just call on God, obey His commands, follow the example of Jesus' most Holy life and God will show you how you must live whatever years you have left, whether they are many or few.
I prayed a LOT (probably more than I have in a LONG time), not because we were in danger (we might not have really ever been; the waves that hit San Francisco were not at all comparable to Hawaii's, but we couldn't have known that at the time), but because I know people who are and there are so many more who I don't know who are. I repented a lot and tried to remember whatever I could from the psalms. It was frustrating because I was literally resting my head on them but I couldn't read them. I think I might have gotten about an hour and a half of "sleep", if you can call being twisted up like a pretzel in the back seat of a truck with your eyes closed but your mind relentlessly repeating prayers "sleeping". Really I was just so relieved to be up high and not in the cold, I didn't really mind not sleeping.
What I did mind, and do mind, is the lesson that I got out of it: This is your life EVERY DAY. Just because some days you feel like you have to worry about waves coming in and ruining your home (which didn't happen), or killing you (which didn't happen), or taking away your peace...it doesn't mean that those other days, when the TV and the radio aren't telling you to be afraid, are any less urgent. The way you pray when you are afraid that you might not ever have another chance to pray to God is the way that you should pray EVERY DAY, because every day that you live might be that day for real. I've taken way more stupid risks in my life where what I should've been afraid of was a wall of my own stupidity, a wall of my own pride, a wall of my own ungodly desires, a wall of my own greed, a wall of my own fear and lack of trust in God...you know, that's the stuff that WILL kill me. There's no advanced warning system for that. It WILL kill me, and the only way I have to try to stay safe is to pray.
I just hope I won't forget this lesson and become complacent once we stop being reminded of the external dangers (until the next thing we're told to be afraid of, that is; how much better it is to just trust in God!). Really they don't worry me. God has sheltered us, and even my friend who is in Japan sent word last night around 2:30 AM that he is alive! So God has saved us ONCE AGAIN...my friend's not even Christian, and God saved Him. And I'm an awful Christian and God saved and comforted me, and taught me a truth I'm not sure I would've been humble enough to learn in any other way.
So that is what the tsunami means to me. As a famous new-world Eastern Orthodox saint once said: "It is later than you think! Therefore hasten to do the work of God!"
What do you think the tsunami means, CopticStrength?
What I did mind, and do mind, is the lesson that I got out of it: This is your life EVERY DAY. Just because some days you feel like you have to worry about waves coming in and ruining your home (which didn't happen), or killing you (which didn't happen), or taking away your peace...it doesn't mean that those other days, when the TV and the radio aren't telling you to be afraid, are any less urgent. The way you pray when you are afraid that you might not ever have another chance to pray to God is the way that you should pray EVERY DAY, because every day that you live might be that day for real. I've taken way more stupid risks in my life where what I should've been afraid of was a wall of my own stupidity, a wall of my own pride, a wall of my own ungodly desires, a wall of my own greed, a wall of my own fear and lack of trust in God...you know, that's the stuff that WILL kill me. There's no advanced warning system for that. It WILL kill me, and the only way I have to try to stay safe is to pray.
I just hope I won't forget this lesson and become complacent once we stop being reminded of the external dangers (until the next thing we're told to be afraid of, that is; how much better it is to just trust in God!). Really they don't worry me. God has sheltered us, and even my friend who is in Japan sent word last night around 2:30 AM that he is alive! So God has saved us ONCE AGAIN...my friend's not even Christian, and God saved Him. And I'm an awful Christian and God saved and comforted me, and taught me a truth I'm not sure I would've been humble enough to learn in any other way.
So that is what the tsunami means to me. As a famous new-world Eastern Orthodox saint once said: "It is later than you think! Therefore hasten to do the work of God!"
What do you think the tsunami means, CopticStrength?
What you wrote was very inspiring, dzheremi. I didn't realize how hard of a question I asked.....until it was asked straight back at me. lol
But what I do know is that you helped me realize something more important than a meaning of a worthless wave, you helped me realize that what I am worrying about will never help me.
Hmm, what does it mean to me? I was thinking of it as a warning. But maybe that was a wake-up call. Or maybe it just something for people to get closer to God some how, honestly I don't know.
Look, I am not worried about myself and my physical body getting hurt, I am worried about is sudden death that will probably lead to eternal death in Hades, without repenting and stuff. But I guess both you and mabsoota answered that by "...hasten and do the work of God!"
Another thing is really bothering me, I sat with my FOC just now at church, and I asked him basically all of these questions and he answered my logically and spiritually, I told him that I wanted to grow in my spiritual life as much as I can and I told him my plan and stuff, but I am wondering if there will ever be time, learning hymns, reading and understanding, growing as much as I can.
So if anything happens suddenly and I haven't completed my mission on learning as much as I can, will that be counted against me or with me?
Sorry for babbling worthless and useless stuff.....
PPFM
Look, I am not worried about myself and my physical body getting hurt, I am worried about is sudden death that will probably lead to eternal death in Hades, without repenting and stuff.
But you can repent! You can repent right now! Please don't be hard-hearted like me and neglect this. It is a gift of God's great mercy to us. Which do you think is more likely: That when you pass away from the earth God will ask you what you learned, or that God will ask you what you did? Learning is very important, of course, but if we spend all our time learning about prayer, when will we pray? No sincere attempt at spiritual growth is useless! :)
Have a blessed sunday!
CopticStrength