BE PREPARED

PRACTICE: Think of a recent situation where being prepared saved you from a less than desirable outcome.

I live in the geographical area of the country where every season has the potential to produce severe weather. As I listened one March evening to the weather forecasters, there was a heightened level of urgency for the potential of severe weather. Normally I hear the forecast, file the info in the brain and go to bed. Instead, I heeded the call to prepare. We grabbed the bike helmets and four liters of water from the garage, found the flashlight and first aid kit, secured snacks from the pantry and took the supplies to our safe place downstairs. With shoes by the bed, we finally retired. What happened that night? Nothing, absolutely nothing.

The forecast was still dire the next day and the weather worsened before sunshine returned. We had never prepared before for the late winter/early spring clash of warm and cold air. What was different this year? I suspect that the events of March 2020 played a major role in our thinking. You see, we have constant reminders of the devastation of early March tornadoes. Our community hasn’t fully recovered. I suspect that 12 plus months of living a pandemic life taught us many lessons about being prepared – better to need and have, than to need and not have. The Boy Scout’s Motto of “Be prepared,” became our motto.

We are now the recipients of oppressive heat and humidity which means that the threat of a severe thunderstorm looms almost daily. We can’t stop the storms, but we can “dyb” (do your best another Boy Scout slogan) to be prepared.

The good news is that now that we’ve prepared it doesn’t matter when the storm comes, we are ready. Had the storm materialized that evening and had we not prepared, it would have been too late to do so upon its arrival.

So, a word to the foolish and wise alike, do your best to be prepared for the storm. Sometimes they are forecasted but most are not. Gather tools that protect your head and heart. Pack nourishment that will sustain you when times are tough. Find the book or music that lightens your soul. Be prepared to dress for the protection from the elements. Know how to always access your tools. For one of the certainties of life is not “if” but “when” the storms come.

Luke 21:36

PONDER THIS THOUGHT --- Preparation relieves pressure.