A WORD FOR TODAY, September 17, 2021
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, September 17, 2021
“Now therefore let Pharaoh look for a discreet and wise man, and set him over the land of Egypt. Let Pharaoh do this, and let him appoint overseers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Egypt’s produce in the seven plenteous years. Let them gather all the food of these good years that come, and store grain under the hand of Pharaoh for food in the cities, and let them keep it. The food will be to supply the land against the seven years of famine, which will be in the land of Egypt; so that the land will not perish through the famine.” Genesis 41:33-36, WEB
September is National Preparedness Month. You may have seen reports on the news about how to survive a disaster. A disaster can happen at any time during the year, but September seems to be a dangerous month for many places across our country. Coastal states deal with the threat of hurricanes and wildfires are more likely after a hot dry summer. Tornadoes occur mostly in spring and summer, but happen any time during the year with the right conditions. Winter is coming and a blizzard or freeze can be disastrous. Earthquakes and floods can happen anywhere at any time. There isn’t a place or a time that is completely safe from disaster, so everyone should be prepared.
The experts recommend that everyone should have a disaster preparedness kit. Lists are available all over the internet, or you can buy kits premade. The first item on the list is water, at least one gallon a day per person for at least three days. Next is a three day supply of non-perishable food. A battery powered or hand cranked radio is helpful to get vital updates. The lists include flashlights, batteries, a first aid kit, a whistle to signal for help, dust masks to help filter contaminated air, moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation, a wrench or pliers to turn off utilities, local maps, cell phone with charger. We probably have all those things around our houses, but could you find it quickly if needed? Can you find your flashlight if the lights go out and will the batteries be good when you do?
Most recommendations include items specific to people and families like prescription medications, glasses, infant formula, diapers, pet food and water for your pet, copies of important documents such as insurance policies, identification, and bank records, warm blankets for each person, a complete change of clothing, personal hygiene items and items to entertain children and adults who may spend a lot of time waiting. There are many other practical items that are helpful, too, like a fire extinguisher and bleach. The items necessary to have on hand depend on your location and the possible disasters you might experience.
This kind of kit is a huge investment. They can cost hundreds of dollars and can take a lot of space a home. Have you tried to store twelve gallons of water? Who can invest so much and leave it unused? We need to constantly check the kit because even non-perishable food and bottled water have expiration dates. Those who are living day to day and paycheck to paycheck do not have the money to keep extra food in the pantry. They are the ones least likely to get through a disaster unscathed because they probably don’t even have those things available in their homes on a good day and they certainly can’t afford to have duplicates packed away in a kit.
Thankfully, most of us are generous and compassionate; we are quick with aid when disaster strikes. Whenever something happens like a hurricane, flood, tornado, fire, earthquake or blizzard happens, we send donations of food, water, clothes, blankets and other things that are needed. We open our wallets with incredible generosity. But I like the suggestion found on the bottom of one Preparedness list. “Once you have prepared your kit, consider putting a second one together for a household that might not be able to afford to purchase the supplies. Or, have a drive at your church or in your neighborhood.” Perhaps think about those who suffer before disaster strikes so that they will be able to meet anything with peace of mind.
Joseph was given an incredible gift: he was given a vision of the future through Pharaoh’s dream that allowed Egypt to prepare for a drought that would affect the entire world. Joseph was assigned the task of gathering the food that would eventually be used to save lives. We don’t have the warning that Joseph had when disaster strikes, but we live in a world full of surprises so we should always be prepared for what might happen. Joseph always trusted God and God proved to be faithful; he had peace even when he was in bad situations. Joseph was able to be generous to his own family who were suffering along with the rest of the world. In the end, he credited God everything in his life, good and bad. It is impossible to have something for every possibility, but let us always remember that trusting God will give us peace to get through everything, because His kit is filled with faithful Christians able to do whatever is necessary to get us through our suffering.
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