Over the years, I have felt emphatically that I was to lead my family to be “in preparation”. When I first heard the call to prepare, I had an intellectual perception that I was going to flee to the mountains, and begin stockpiling food, water and other supplies.
Later, I began to realize that my call to prepare was NOT a call to hoard food, or to live in seclusion and fear. On the contrary, the preparation journey was to make a safe place for sharing – during a time of crisis when people would be prone to fear and panic.
The journey of preparation is certainly not easy. There has been great transition and purging that my family has endured. It would be foolish to assume that all we needed to do was to stockpile groceries and ammo, and then wait on some cataclysmic event to thrust us into our new lifestyle. Unfortunately, that’s what I see happening with many people who are looking at the chaotic times and are beginning to assume something difficult is on the horizon. So, they begin reacting to the most basic human instinct – survival – and fill their closets with food items to keep them alive until they can come out of hiding.
I won’t debate the need to store food items in a pantry. In fact, I strongly encourage everyone to get a 6 to 8 month supply of food and supplies. Not just to have groceries in the cupboard, but perhaps to help sustain you financially during lean months.
For me, it goes far beyond simply having food in the storehouse. The impression I get from some people I speak with is that – if things get really rough, they will simply sit around the house and eat their stock. That’s ridiculous!
Some families, right now, could not sit in the same room for more than an hour. Now, imagine if there was great turmoil, chaos, and fear all around. Do you suppose that family might be able to sit down calmly and sing hymns to pass the time? I doubt it. We’ve complicated our lives to the extent that any quiet, simple family time – is rare. Even Churches have become reckless entertainment hubs where there always has to be something going on to keep the flock active. What happened to “Be Still and Know…?”
Part of the preparation process is being able to find pleasure and joy in simple things. Cluttering our lives with constant motion or activity will make things exponentially more difficult to adjust to when there is global chaos.
Preparation is not just about hoarding food and water. Preparation is not about trying to outsmart fear, and simply plan ahead. God is our refuge and our strength – we can’t manufacture peace by simply working ahead of the looming chaos. We can, however, get ready for the coming events so we are better able to share hope, peace, and life in Christ – especially during times of great distress. There will be a great harvest in that day!
Prepare now by sharing quiet and peaceful times with family, or friends. Avoid the need to constantly be busy.
