Be Prepared...Tuesday

9/7/15

When I hear this admonition to "Be Repaired," it always reminds me of the Girl Scout motto that I tried to live by in the 1950's. We were told to plan ahead and be ready for any eventuality. There were other lofty directives as well. I took the motto seriously, even though I often got distracted by other happenings in my life. When that happened preparedness would end up a last minute thing. There were other teachings to be learned in scouting such as the need to "do a good turn daily," and we ended each meeting joining hands in a "friendship circle."Such habits and teachings are such that they stay with us long after we have little Girl Scouts of our own. They have become the pillars that hold up our beliefs on how to live. 

There is so much that requires us to be prepared. A wedding literally can take a year to plan and arrange. The preparations are many...a place to hold it, finding the perfect dress, bridesmaids, groomsmen, flowers, a cake, foods to serve, and whom to invite. Then there is the end of summer when the back to school preparations include clothes, shoes, and supplies.
There is practically nothing we want to do in life that can happen without planning and preparing.

There are those who keep food, water, and other supplies in case there is an emergency when it might not be possible to shop for needed supplies. In California some people have earthquake preparedness supplies that they keep on hand.The worst national disasters I have ever been in have been a New England hurricane. Even though the Loma Prieta Earthquake of 1989 was very serious and disastrous, if one was out on the fringe of it (as I was) there was little damage.  I used to think that hoarding food for a disaster was kind of an overkill to such feared possibilities. 

I have changed my tune of late. There is just so much going on with weather, world happenings, and the like that I now believe that something could happen that would render people in a situation of needing to have food and water to be prepared if something should happen. What got my attention the most seriously was something that I read about a possible result of a strong sun flare which could shut down all the electronics that we have come to rely on in our modern world...no cell phones, no opening of banks, you can think of more situations.

I now feel that it would be fool hardy for me to bury my head in the sand and think that nothing could ever happen. Back when I was growing up we used to have a saying that "God helps those who help themselves." I believe this is true, that there are ways to be prepared. here are some of my thoughts..

• First and most important to pray daily to God to ask for His protection for people we love and for the world in general. The very thought of some of the possibilities is really scary to me. I have been praying to God for protection, wisdom, and courage in the face of any kind of disaster. This should be the first line of action done daily.
• Then there are some practical things that we can do so that we can face any challenges that happen. These would include getting a first aid kit and having water on hand.  It would be wise to have some dried foods that will stay fresh to use in case of a long term occurrence. These could include rice, beans, dried soups, etc. There are websites under the search term "be prepared" that give suggestions of what to get.

I have two purposes in all of this is to make people aware that there may be a future need to be prepared on a physical need level and on a spiritual level. We need to keep from panicking and remember that "God is in control," keep in communication with Him about any of your fears and needs, and remember that He hears your prayers. And I believe that God does help those who help themselves if they do it in the right ways.

Holy God,

I come to You today to ask You to show me what to do in the event of any emergency. Help me to turn my fears into trust that You are a loving Father who is always as close to me as the air I breathe. My biggest desire is that, I when face anything that is difficult, I will act in a way that brings honor to You. I  know that in the end You will hold me in the palm of your hand. Amen

Written by

Corinne Mustafa