How Prepared Are You?

When I was growing up, no one in our family ever talked about "being prepared". By this, I mean, no one talked about hard times, the end times, the rapture, or even Armageddon. About the only memory I have that would even come close to any concept of being prepared is my grandmother advising me not "to throw that away, because as soon as you do, you will need it!" While I would not classify my grandparents as hoarders, they did have a lot of things that I considered to be odd and ends - in other words, items that I had no clue what they were or what they went to.

But the real question today is, what, if anything, should we be prepared for? In some circles, it seems that there is a laissez-faire attitude. In other words, why should we prepare? The responses range from a nothing-is-going-to-happen point of view to one of dependence on God. Please don't misunderstand me - I am NOT saying that we should not have dependence on God; however, I think the attitude of "God will send us manna" is not a realistic response to being prepared.

The Bible is full of verses on the topic of preparation. In fact, Proverbs 27:12 states, "A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself; but the simple pass on, and are punished." To me, this means that a smart person prepares for the evil that he sees as being a possibility; those that do not prepare suffer and are punished due to a lack of preparedness. The Book of Proverbs also teaches us to watch the ant and learn from it. Specifically, Proverbs 6:6-11 read, "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man."

A lot of times when we discuss being prepared, many of our friends and associates start thinking about the end times, tribulation and the rapture. However, history should have taught us that there are a variety of ways that could cause us to face hardship. Just in America alone there has been war, dust bowls, severe droughts and hurricanes, the Great Depression and, most recently, "the Great Recession". From a worldwide point of view, severe inflation and terrorist attacks have done much to disrupt the societal fabric for many countries. Why do we seem to think that we Americans are immune or that God will instantly provide for all our needs? Many Christians have suffered in the past, and without proper preparation, can and will suffer in the future.

Back to our original question - how prepared are you? Every living thing has core needs: water, food and shelter. But we are also used to maintaining a certain "standard of living" with lights, modern appliances, and the ability to run to the store to get whatever our hearts desire - so long as we have a means to pay for it.

This past week something happened that affected our cell phones. My husband and I were not able to communicate via voice, with either each other or our clients. We could text and had to resort to email for our clients. Thankfully, this break in communication was fixed by the end of the week and we were back to business as usual. But this got us to thinking and talking about the "what ifs".

What if the power were to go out for more than a few days? What would we do for lighting, water and cooking? I think we are so used to our utilities always being there for us that we do not realize that it usually takes electricity to get water into the house; it takes electricity to ignite the gas on a gas stove or to cook on an electric one; it takes electricity to run the fan on the furnace or to load the pellets on a wood pellet stove.

What if the water supply were to get contaminated? This is not such a far fetched idea as one might first think. After all, Milwaukee's water supply was contaminated and resulted in some deaths not so long ago. If that were to happen in our neck of the woods, you can be confident that the bottled water supply would run out at all the stores and gas stations pretty quickly. In Milwaukee, the water could be boiled to make it safe; but what if boiling was not an option?

What if you lost your job? This has been a problem for many Americans in the past four years. No income is coming in yet you still need to feed your family. Imagine how much easier it would be for you if you knew that you had prepared in advance and had a 30-, 60-, or 90-day supply of food in storage. Do you know how to garden? Or cook "from scratch"? Or is your diet heavily dependent on prepackaged and prepared foods?

We are not trying to cause anyone to be afraid - we are told in God's word more than 300 times to NOT fear; however, we do think that a balanced approach to preparation should be considered. Based on current events, it could only help.

The Proverbs 31 woman is not afraid of the snow for her household: for all her household are clothed with scarlet (verse 21). Think for a minute about these things and determine how prepared you are. Can you go without power for a week? It's been known to happen in some parts of the United States. Can you go without tap water for a week? It's been known to happen - bacteria in the water making it unsafe for a period time. Can you feed your family without going to the store for a week? Maybe you're snowed in like they were in Buffalo, New York. Or maybe your car breaks down and you can't leave home. What if deliveries were not able to be made to your local community of stores because of closed roads and the like?

There are so many things that can impact us that are beyond our control. As wives and mothers, we are responsible for setting the tone of the home and making everyone feel safe. By preparing ahead of time, you can also eliminate stress, confusion, and frustration.

Be blessed as we enter this winter season.