How many of us can say that we feel truly prepared for any crisis? I have enough trouble just getting through the day to day craziness that is family life!
We often don’t think about the thing we can do to prepare our family to survive and thrive in unforeseen circumstances. Most don’t think about it until it’s happening.
Take Coronavirus, for example. Most people never saw this invisible enemy coming. How would we know toilet paper and hand sanitizer would be in short supply? Where are we going to get 5-7 face masks for each member of the family? Who’s going to wait in line at Costco for hours just for basic necessities?
The central point of panic when people begin hoarding supplies is the fear that there won’t be enough. It’s living in a scarcity mentality instead of the peace that comes when you know there is an abundance.
Abundance brings peace when you know two things:
1. God is ultimately in charge because He is:
- Omnipotent & Omnipresent – all knowing, all seeing, everywhere. Nothing surprises our great God. He knew this would happen and He has equipped us for everything we need. (Isaiah 44:6; John 8:56-59)
- Good Shepherd – He leads, guides, disciplines, and protects us through every bright mountaintop and every dark valley. (Psalm 23; John 10:1-16)
- Provider – even in the most uncertain times, He sees our needs and loves to meet them when we trust Him. (Ephesians 3:20-21; Philippians 4:19; Matthew 6:24-34)
- Creator and Healer – He made every inch of this universe, from the largest galaxy to the smallest micro-organism. He knows what makes us tick and has an appointed time for each of us. (Exodus 23:25; Psalm 19:1-2)
2. God has given us a brain to do as much as we can, to prepare with what we have
We can prepare for things we can’t see, whether it’s a natural disaster, job loss, or a global pandemic. It’s entirely possible to collect the basic necessities our family will need when these events hit.
In Kathi Lipp’s book Ready for Anything: Preparing Your Heart and Home for Any Crisis Big or Small, you will find the simplest and most practical steps to set up a secure plan for your family to survive in difficult and uncontrollable circumstances.
Kathi’s book has many situations to consider and prepare for, but here are five basic areas you can plan for with the family today:
Water
Follow this formula: one gallon per person, per day. Kathi recommends that we start saving for a two-week period, but given recent circumstances with national stay-at-home orders, at least a month may be advisable.
Why so much water, you may ask? Each person needs to be prepared for drinking, cooking, bathing, and washing / cleaning clothes and general surface areas. A little bit of water may not go as long as you think.
Food
Shelf-stable and dry goods are important for an extended storage plan. Fifty cans of beans will not cut it if you’re going to be inside for a long while, so choose foods you know the family will eat.
You will also need to plan for ways to cook food or boil water in case clean water is damaged or equipment stores are closed or too far away. Basic supplies like gas-powered camping stoves and utensils can double as camping and emergency equipment.
First Aid
You never know when someone will need to be patched up in a hurry. Natural disasters that affect a large area can be the most difficult to access medical aid. Know what to stock in your First Aid Kit (see American Red Cross guidelines), and have enough backup medication for those who depend on specific prescriptions.
Take a First Aid / CPR class as a family to be ready to resuscitate a loved one or neighbor in need. We are surviving to serve!
Money
This important asset is something not a lot of us think about until a disaster happens. During the Coronavirus outbreak, hundreds of thousands of people lost their jobs because their positions were considered “non-essential.” Everyone needed to cooperate with their state’s stay-at-home orders to prevent the spread of this virus, but that left many with no way to earn an income.
While the government has offered to help those who apply for assistance, we still need to make every effort to get out of debt and build a savings so we don’t need to drain resources unnecessarily. Have more than enough financial provision by becoming a better budgeter.
Power
We are a society almost entirely dependent on electricity for communication and most common comforts. But what if the power went out due to an earthquake, storm, or another unforeseeable disaster?
Collect your candles, lighters, and batteries and practice having “no power” days with the family. The kids may be surprised at how many things we depend on for electricity!
It will also be vitally important to backup or save any information stored on an electronic device saved in the cloud, or a hard copy protected from the elements.
Ready to Serve
The unexpected things that come up when you’re in crisis is how much the community rallys to support one another. When we’re not living in a constant state of stress and worry, we are better equipped to make decisions that help our family and community.
You can be physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually ready for any crisis. Just remind yourself and your family of our great God, how much we can trust Him, and how He provides for us to prepare our family for the unknown. Let Him bring you peace in the midst of uncertain times, and rest in the comfort of His provision.
FREE 5-Day Family Curriculum!
When you pre-order Kathi’s book Ready for Anything, you get amazing bonuses, including the family curriculum I created with Kathi that goes over these five basic areas in much more detail.
You’ll see an educational reading page for each area, a helpful chart or graphic, and family discussion questions to help move you toward your goal. Treat this as a unit study for social studies or social science.
Order by May 19, 2020 to get all of these goodies:
- First 7 chapters digital access of the book
- Cooking in a Crisis – cookbook
- Kickstart to Clutter Free program
- We’re Ready for Anything – 5 Day Family Curriculum for Crisis Preparation