Emergency preparedness

ON MY HEART By Marilyn Moll

Last week I touched on a topic near and dear to my heart, Preparedness during difficult times. Maybe a better word for "preparedness" would be good "old-fashioned" compassion and neighborliness. Here is an excerpt from last week's column:

"...We have been thinking we will all be called to depend on or teach some old-fashioned skills like bartering, gardening, food pantries and neighborliness as the means to survival... I actually believe God may be calling each of us individually, as families, and as the church corporately to address needs in ways the government "stimulus"package will never be able to meet."

Since last week, providentially, our pastor preached on the scriptures that admonish over and over, "What is the greatest commandment? Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, strength, and the second is like it, Love your neighbor as yourself." Who are your neighbors? - the needy.

Pastor Kinser developed the idea of our God being a God of compassion, that loving our neighbor will require a heart of compassion based on needs not worth. Compassion requires something of us, time, money, convenience but demonstrates our love for God when we reach out. The definition of our neighbor includes the needy which encompasses a much broader definition than I had realized. The needy include not only the poor, but the sick, prisoners, lonely, those who don't fit in, outcasts, unpopular, left out, orphans, widows, and the neglected.

What is interesting about the list of needy, is that we have all, most likely, been needy at some point in time, and that most needs do not require money, but time, love, and care. I believe it is time for each of us to prayerfully consider, who are my "neighbors" and how does God want me to reach out? Very possibly food and money may not be their greatest need.

To read the feedback from other readers (from last week) on what they are thinking about preparing for the future, CLICK HERE.

Nevertheless, I do want to be working on my own Family Preparedness Plan (something Duane usually took care of and was passionate about). I still believe I need to make sure I have prepared for the minimum basics which include:

• Water Storage and purification
• Alternative heating and cooking sources
• Food storage
• 72 Hour Kit
• Medical and First Aid Supplies

Be sure to read the details about the new Family Emergency Kit Below.

Introducing - Emergency Preparedness Kit