emergency – The Arrow Preacher

Emergency Preparedness Kit

I enjoy hiking and camping. I love going out into the woods and seeing what nature has to offer. To be surrounded by all of Gods glory what does it mean to you? Some people hate the idea of being in the woods. The bugs, the heat, the humidity, some people just hate it. Me, I thrive on walking in the woods, going on hikes, long and short. It’s not the hike itself we’re going to talk about today; it’s being prepared for it.

When I was in Iraq I was known for one thing and that was being prepared for as many contingencies as possible. I would consider as many outcomes of a mission as possible and I would pack my bag with as many things I could carry that I thought would be needed. When I go hiking I do the same. My boots, my belt, my emergency kit in my bag, my hand held GPS, my binoculars, fire starters, mirrors, even as much as my Phoenix strobes (night vision strobes). I try to plan for as much as possible. What happens if I fall and break or sprain something? What happens if I get turned around and lost in the woods? What happens if something bites me? What do I do if the worst-case scenario happens? Will I be prepared for it? How do you go about preparing yourself for the worst-case scenario?

When I am getting ready for my hike I think about where I’m going. I think about the weather for the next 24 hours. I think about the amount of water I would need, how long could I go without food? I consider what kind of terrain I’m walking and what I can do for shelter or long term water. I have everything in a pack I can carry. I always have a little extra water, I always have a few extra protein bars, and I always tell someone where I’m going. Not everyone plans ahead as I do.

It’s always a good idea to plan ahead because Private Murphy is always lurking around the corner. What can go wrong, will go wrong. And sadly it usually does. As many times as I’ve gone hiking, or out playing around in the wilderness so far I’ve never needed the emergency kit, but for the same reason I take it day in and day out on my travels, why do we keep insurance on homes or cars? It’s not a matter of if it’ll happen, but what if it does and you aren’t prepared for it. I would rather have it and never use it, then need it and not have it. I have insurance on my home, but pray to God I never have to use it.

What does all this have to do with God? Matthew 24:44 “Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.” Will you be ready when the wolf growls at your door? Will you be ready when Satin decides it’s your time? The Devil will find you when you least expect it, and that’s when the enemy will attack you. 1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,” The day may come when the fight comes to you, are you faithful in the Lord to withstand the attacks? The power of the Word Of God, is how we prepare. God is my Emergency preparedness Kit. Through God I can withstand the attacks by the wicked one. It’s not about wishing the fight will never come it’s about being able to fireproof, to guard and withstand the flaming arrows. The fight will come one day, the battles will happen whether you like it or not. Matthew 25:13 “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” Police officers wear body armor knowing that have it but pray they never need it. As such we have the tools to do so also. Ephesians 6:11 “11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.”

When the day comes I hope your emergency kit is solid and ready to go. As for mine, I have my kit for hiking, and for life, I have my God. God is my emergency preparedness kit.

This ain’t where I parked my car!

You ever feel like you are lost, like you can’t figure out how you got to this point in your life? Sure you do, we’ve all been there sometime. We never fully know where our path is taking us, or what lurks in the darkness. In any instance in life, at any point, at any intersection we may run into Ecclesiastes 3:8 “A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.” The biggest question when that time comes is how prepared are you? We all have that fight and flight response, but how we choose to handle each situation in life, pushes us to the next, then the next step. The thing about being lost is we don’t have to stay that way. As a hiker, and a camper, the fear of getting lost is always very real. Sure you try to prepare the best you can by taking rations, water, an emergency kit, a compass…. Wait, a compass? That’s right boys and girls, I said a compass. When you’re traveling anywhere in life having a good well-kept compass is the best option you could have. With a little understanding about where you are, that compass can keep you headed in the right direction, as long as you know how to use it.

God it seems had the same thing in mind for us. As we move through our lives we are raised with a basic understanding of right and wrong. We have a basic understanding of failure and success. Each of us has a code we live by. Buddhist believes in Karma or also known as what goes around comes around. It’s a cosmic balance sheet. Not a bad way to look at it. This however is not a theological debate on religion. Matthew 7:12 “ “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” Now if you want to be a jerk to someone it’s easy to expect someone to be a jerk back. BUT, again that’s against the code. Matthew 5:39 “But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.” May not seem fair, but no one said life was easy or fair.

So the moral of this story my friends is simple. If you’re not where you thought you would be, if life isn’t treating you how you think it should, if people are mean and cruel, that’s all part of the journey. You’re not home yet, so this world isn’t where you belong. We all belong at home with our Heavenly Father. To get there you must follow the roadmap and compass He gave you. There’s a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, the pearly gates waiting for you. If you feel like you got lost along the way, grab your compass (the Bible) and find your way North again. It’s never too late to change your direction. Just like Dorthy following that Yellow Brick Road once she stepped off she found herself in the field of poppy. Stay on the trail. Though the Goblins and Orchs will try to track you along your way, try to break your spirit, try to tempt you off the path, you must resist temptation. Just like Hansel and Grettle, don’t follow the candy “It’s a TRAP!”