I would like to think that God is shielding me from an experience that completely unsettles me. I would like to believe I will live in Japan for 2½ years without ever feeling the ground move beneath my feet. I would like to be confident that life will continue on as is, without the undue trauma that earthquakes cause me. With my track record, things are looking good.

I never considered myself a heavy sleeper. In college, when the phone rang in the middle of the might, my roomate would NEVER hear it, so I would have to climb down from the top bunk and answer it. I don’t sleep through my alarm clock. Storms don’t often wake me. So, what woke me this morning?

This morning I woke up to my two housemates hollering at each other. It was 6:40am, and neither of them are vocal at all before 7:00, and even then, they don’t holler until at least 11:00. So, I was confused, but since it was past time for me to get up, I went downstairs and put my coffee on. Shortly thereafter, the housemate from Wisconsin came down. “Did you feel the earthquake?” she asked.

Did I feel the earthquake?

She has now asked me this twice in two months. And twice, I had to answer, “No … ” This time, I slept through it. I slept through an earthquake. Do you realize just how momentous this is? Awhile back, there was a tiny earthquake that shook the house while I was doing homework in the dining room. It lasted all of a minute (or less), and the total effect was minimal. And I freaked.

I would like to think I will live here for 2½years without feeling an earthquake. While I know that’s already not to be. But, we’ve had three, and I’ve only felt one. The odds are certainly in my favor!