Proverbs & Preparedness - Being Wise

“A prudent man foresees the difficulties ahead and prepares for them; the simpleton goes blindly on and suffers the consequences.” Proverbs 22:3 (The Living Bible)

I have lived in Southern New Jersey for over forty-five years. This past summer our area was delivered quite a dose of reality when we experienced a 5.8 earthquake  and Hurricane Irene within a one week span of time.

I had candles, batteries and other essentials on hand, and luckily we had plenty of warning the hurricane was on its way, but this was not the case when the earthquake occurred. It was a completely normal summer day. I was bent over a boom box adjusting the volume on a children’s CD for my grandsons.  The earthquake struck. At first I thought something malfunctioned within the boombox as a strange sensation assailed me. It’s amazing how quick a complete innocent to earthquakes realizes what they are experiencing. “Earthquake,” I said out loud. It didn’t last long, and after I got my bearings, I took my grandsons outside on the lawn. Through research I have since learned it was the wrong thing to do, we should have crouched and covered our heads beneath my sturdy oak dining room table.

Afterwards I knew myself woefully unprepared for emergency. I’ve since begun to remedy that situation. In the basement I have plastic and duct tape to seal my windows shut. I have extra blankets, food, and water, I have a bag filled with the essentials shown in the picture above. I also have a duplicate bag in my garage in the event I have to vacate the area quickly. Inside these bags are waterproof matches, alcohol, peroxide, aspirin, toiletries, batteries, flint, etc.. I have an emergency blanket in the car, and I am careful to keep the gas tank topped up.  I also have a survival book on hand, and through watching some of the survival shows on television, have picked up some useful tips to use in case of emergencies. I am planning to grow a bigger vegetable garden this year, and will keep working my way down preparedness lists to try and be ready for any emergency that might present itself.

Check out Build a kit a government website with a list assembled to help you prepare for an emergency situation.

We all know the wisdom of having candles on hand, but it’s also a good idea to have a few things to occupy your time. Minutes drag when the wind is whistling outside, the electric is down, and there are still hours to go before bedtime.

Watch a few of the survivor shows on television. After several years of watching these, I have a few rudimentary ideas of things to do in a survival situation that I would not have known otherwise. They are also very good entertainment. These are a few that I like:

Out of the Wild
Survivor
Survivorman
Man vs. Wild
Man, Woman, Wild

My list of things to do to prepare for an emergency is a brief and abridged version. I am not recommending anyone become one of the rabid preppers who become so obsessed they think of nothing else and in doing so alienate everyone around them. I am hoping to just give anyone who reads these words a little bit of prodding to be prepared for anything and everything.  Do a little research on the Internet and learn all you can to prepare yourself for emergency situations. The best advice I saved for last: your first source of wisdom should be the guidebook that God provided for good times and bad.