"Birth Pains"

Yesterday there was an earthquake in Virginia that was felt over much of the East coast. My family that lives in Maryland felt it. It was a pretty strong earthquake, 5.8. Thankfully there were no major injuries. As I watched and listened to the news reporters reporting on the earthquake and talking to people who felt the earthquake, many people thought at first it was a terrorist attack but then they realized it was, in their words, "ONLY" an earthquake. I know they may not have thought about what they were saying but think about it "ONLY" an earthquake, God allowed that earthquake and He is much more powerful than any terrorist attack. The earth could have opened up and swallowed everyone if that is what God would have chosen to do. Thankfully that did not happen but an earthquake is NOT an "ONLY". It is a birth pain, in Matthew 24 Jesus tells us that in the end times there will be "earthquakes in many parts of the world". The Bible tells us that the earth groans for Jesus return. I think this earthquake is just another thing that shows us that Jesus return is getting closer and closer. As I look around I see many birthing pains going on....many groans. I look around and see people who are all about themselves. We are all selfish but it seems selfishness is getting worse and worse. Ed and I talked about this, no one looks out for the "little guy". It seems like those in authority or have jobs where they have some power look down on those under them and say, "I got to where I am by working hard or maybe I inherited this job because of who my dad was so sorry for your luck that you are where you are, I am not helping you, I have my own stuff to take care of." This is another birth pain, the Bible tells us the love of many will wax cold and they will be lovers of themselves. Of course we have always been selfish, this is our sinful nature but I think it is getting much worse. Hannah says that Isaiah says hi to everyone, now you would think that people would look at him and smile and say hi back to him but not always, many people turn their heads, this used not to be. Try smiling at someone, many times that person won't smile back, that used to not be. Just yesterday I took a pair of shoes back to Dicks to exchange them, the lady at customer service helped me but she sure was not friendly, she did not smile once and yes, I smiled at her. We forgot to pay our water bill for our home in KY, first time in 12 almost 13 years....I guess we are getting old. Anyway, our water was shut off so we called Meade Co. Water and got it all taken care of but there was a $50.00 charge for them to turn the water back on. Which wasn't a problem for us but what if someone had just lost their job or maybe they were having a family crisis and didn't get their bill paid because they were at the hospital then had their water shut off and had to pay the $50.00 to have it turned back on? Do you think that the main person at Meade County Water is really going to care.....no and that is sad. I think there are birthing pains all around us, Christians and even our earth is groaning for the Lord's return. So when I look around and see a world that is NOT the same world that I once knew, I must remind myself, this will soon pass, and Heaven is on the other side. Keep looking up!