Residents of coastal Alabama are familiar with billboards which proclaim: “The first seventy-two are on you.” The billboard means that in the event of a hurricane, you won’t have much help for the first three days.
After going through Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath in 2005, I attest to the truthfulness of that statement. We had ample help after day four but days 1-3 were difficult.
You may not live in hurricane territory (the residents of New Jersey probably thought they didn’t before Superstorm Sandy), but you should be ready for crises. Difficult times are certain to come from time to time. In this world we will have ample difficulty.
What can you do to get prepared?
First, establish a plan and follow it. Know how and where your family will meet after a crisis. Put in place a plan for communication. Having a plan everyone is familiar with will help make whatever difficulty you experience easier.
Second, make sure you have physical items you need for emergencies. Bottled water and canned foods are easy to keep. You never know when a bottle of water will come in handy.
Third, make sure you have backups of essentials such as glasses, contact lens, medications, diapers, etc. Try to determine in advance what you really need to function.
Fourth, have some cash you can get to easily. There are times when ATMs and credit cards don’t work. You want to be able to provide for your family.
Fifth, save money for use in a crisis. Remember, a large automobile repair bill can precipitate a crisis. Having prepared in advance helps relieve stress.
Finally, be spiritually prepared. Jesus told His disciples of days of tribulation. He told them again and again to “watch” and to “take heed” because you don’t want to be found sleeping (Mark 13:35-37). In difficult days of any kind or when Jesus returns, we want to be on “speaking terms” with our Lord.
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One Response
Great outline and suggestions.
One thing I have learned is when you are in a crisis and are being challenged with physical and economic attacks it is better to hold on to what you have than to trust someone who makes their money asking for your trust saying they can help you. I have K-1’s to prove the point.
Also don’t ever give a lawyer your only file. I’ve never heard of a lawyer loosing a file but it happened to me and the original documents were not replaceable.
Also, don’t trust a neighbor who says, “No problem!” He has a right to change his mind after you have acted on his word.
Don’t expect to get help from someone who says, “Just let me know, I’ll help any way I can.” It just means, I don’t want to put you off and I really don’t have time to get involved.
You don’t necessarily get what you pay for and if you make something out of it you may be considered grumbling if your problem is with a “christian.” The social ranks will close as per the “World Tribal View.”
Then when all is thought to be lost, God will show up. He has a sense of humor, you know. If you have reached the point of: even if God doesn’t show up I’m okay, you have arrived to where He wants you to be. Congratulations!
Blessings