TIME OF REFLECTION

Are you prepared.? This is a time of reflection. Business are closing; unemployment is rising; money is dwindling, if not gone. People are seeking and searching for some type of relief. In the beginning there were a majority of people, not quite taking things seriously. Many stated this was a prank or some type of conspiracy. Others said, you can’t live in fear. While others simply did not want to talk about it, taking a lackadaisical approach. It became real when food storage became apparent and their source of income came into jeopardy.

I am not here to argue what the government should have done and what the government should do. But what is definitely real are the ramifications that have occurred in households, the United States and in the world.

The truth is, this crisis will reach its peak and decrease. Slowly, the world will slide back into some semblance of normalcy. And, many months or a year later, people will slide back into a state of complacency.

Were you prepared for this crisis?

• Did you have a few canned goods, on your shelf? Extra rolls of toilet paper, in the linen closet? A thermometer, in the medicine cabinet?  A few dollars tucked away, for emergencies.
• When people attempted to tell you about stocking up, you ignored them with all types of reasons, and you were blindsided when searching for toilet paper and meats?
• Or, did you panic shopper, you only stocked up, after the threat was imminent?

There is no judgement or criticism, on whatever approach you took. Let’s look at the point of survival.

One of the greatest gifts you can teach yourself and your children to be strong and know how to survive. Of course, you cannot always be prepared for all situations, at all times. But, you can have basic survival skills.

Here are some basic skills:

• God. Get God in your life. Have a strong relationship with Him. God has a way to instruct us to do things even when we don’t understand why. If something comes to your mind and you know it is coming from God, do it. We love to fight against His instructions, thinking it is not necessary or it is not needed. Only to find out later, if you had listened, you wouldn’t be in the situation you find yourself. He wants to protect you, but you need to listen to His instructions.

Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets. Amos 3:7 (KJV)

• Listen. Take heed to wise counsel. Again, God will put people in your path to help you and to give you good advice. Too many times, people listen to the wrong individuals. Or, are too stubborn and rebellious to listen. Learn to listen and entertain the fact someone may be telling you something you need to know.
• Money Management: Cash is a delicate subject right now. But in the future, get on a budget. You need to identify what is coming in and going out. This will allow you to see the elements that may be draining your finances. Another point, always try to have cash on hand. Work your way up to $50 and go from there. Having a healthy cash on hand fund can help, if the ATMs are not allowing cash withdrawal. If you must use your cash on hand, replace it. Open a savings account for emergency purposes. Whatever the amount you manage to put in, leave that amount in and have a system that you can add more. For the record, going to happy hour is not a reason to dip into your emergency fund.
• Food. Many Americans live from paycheck to paycheck. And, buy groceries either biweekly or monthly. Teach you and your children not to eat up everything out of the refrigerator and off the shelves. Unexpected emergencies can occur. Every time you grocery shop, put away a few canned goods, a gallon of water, boxes of nonperishable food items and watch your emergency food pantry grow. If an unexpected event occurs, you can avoid panic shopping.
• Transportation. Always attempt to keep your car, full of gas. For some unknown reason, I dislike pumping gas. And, I tend to put this task off. But in the future, I will get back to my previous habit, of never allowing my gas tank to drop below ½ tank of gas. Also, in some secret compartment, of your car, try to keep at least $20 cash. In the world of plastic, carrying cash is obsolete. But in this case, it can helpful if you travel through an unexpected toll or you just need cash on the road. I learned he trait the hard way.
• Miscellaneous. Try to keep on hand: batteries (all sizes), flashlights, candles, matches/lighters, thermometer, pain relievers and a first aid kit. It is difficult to keep these items on hand, with spouses and children exhausting your stash. Stash extra amounts of these items out of the sight of your family. The intentions are not to keep secrets, but to have these necessary items available, if needed. The upfront approach is to tell your family members why these items are off limits, only to be used in an emergency. And if these items must be used, replace them, immediately.  Another item to keep on hand is charcoal. If you have access to an outdoor grill or smoker, having charcoal is a great item to have tucked away. If the electric goes out, you can cook meals, boil water and keep things warm, on your grill.  

Listed above are only a few items needed in case of an emergency. After reading this post, some people may take heed, while others may already have these elements and items. And, yet there will be some who will not  take heed. The choice is always yours to make.  

A wise man will hear, and will increase learning; and a man of understanding shall attain unto wise counsels. Proverbs 1:5  (KJV)