He has promised, saying, "Yet once more I shake not only the earth, but also heaven." Now this, "Yet once more," indicates the removal of those things that are being shaken, as of things that are made, that the things which cannot be shaken may remain.
-Hebrews 12:26-27
God is a master strategist. I know that is not one of the Hebrew names that you are familiar with like Jehovah Jireh or Jehovah Rapha, but it is still true. He is Jehovah Strategist. He is the master planner. He knows the end from the beginning. Because He knows the outcome He also knows what is needed to get you to your expected end. He knows the right tools and the right amount of pressure that needs to be applied to ensure your perfection. He orchestrates the right conditions to produce what is needed in you.
Sometimes He sees that what we need is a good shaking -- something to arouse us from our complacency. He often uses a gentle shaking like one used to wake up a sleeping loved one. He uses this type of shaking to make us aware of where we are or what is happening around us. This could be in the form of a casual comment from your spouse or a pattern you begin to notice yourself. These aren't huge things, but you know if you leave them unchecked they can create larger issues. Much like tremors that happen days before an earthquake, the "little shakes" let us know that something bigger could be happening under the surface. We should pay attention to these things.
Then there are times that He uses earthquake-level shakes. These are the things that test your foundation. Think of the big attacks on your marriage -- finances, issues with parenting, infidelity. Note that God doesn't necessarily cause these things, but He does use them. These things attack the core of you. You can only bounce back from them if your foundation (and the foundation of your marriage) is secure. Think about it. When earthquakes occur, the structure may fall, but if the foundation is secure the building can be rebuilt. This level of shaking makes you assess what you believe and even if rebuilding is possible, but it can be used to make your marriage stronger than it has ever been.
I am in this level of shaking in my life. I am experiencing tremors -- new opportunities, questions in my career, the end of summer, and I am experiencing earthquakes -- two more kids entering college, moving, new ministry, and changes in my relationships. Though the shaking is not happening in my marriage directly each of these things effect my marriage and how I interact with my husband. Neither the tremors or the earthquakes are fun, but I have finally embraced the fact that both of them are necessary. The shaking in every area of my life is making me evaluate what is necessary and what is not, what is valuable and what is not, what has served its purpose and what has not, and what to carry forward and what to leave behind. The shaking is making me examine my foundation and make sure that it is secure in Christ. Ultimately, the shaking is making me better.
As your marriage (and life) faces the shaking of the Lord be sure that you are anchored in Christ. Examine your foundation. Check for cracks. Look for gaps that need to be filled. Then thank God that He is the author and finisher of this process. Trust that whatever falls off while He is shaking your life needed to go and be thankful for what remains.
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