Both Brad and I are pretty into being prepared for an emergency.
We don’t have a bomb shelter in the backyard, nor have we started stockpiling canned goods (yet), but we’re both planners and that leans over into the area of ‘what if’ as well.
When Hurricane Matthew was setting up his bluff as the worst hurricane to hit Florida in recent history, I knew what to do. Brad was not impressed by all the warnings from the Weather Channel and thought everything I wanted to do ‘just in case’ was overreacting. I reminded him that I was the only one in the whole house who had ever BEEN through a hurricane, so he may want to reconsider.
Thankfully he met with his Bible study guys that Thursday morning before it hit. They were horrified that he had no generator, tarps or supplies. He sprang into action.
Again, based on all the reports, it was going to be a disaster of gargantuan proportions. And by the time we went to bed that night, we were ready. (Brad and I took turns staying up throughout the night to see what the storm was doing.)
Then of course, nothing happened. We got a little wind, a little rain, lost a couple limbs on our trees out front, and one of the shutters on the front of the house was (and is still) crooked. But that’s it.
We never even lost power.
Sydney said it best, “I mean, I didn’t really WANT it to hit us. But after all that stuff we did to get ready, well, I guess I was just READY.”
The good news is, now we have a (top-of-the-line) generator and plenty of battery-powered lamps. We’ve been slowly working through the canned goods, but there’s still a ten-pound bag of rice in the pantry.
Brad has always had a plan for a break in, as well (assuming the intruders want to do more than just take our stuff). When the kids were younger, he laid it out for us. “Beau, you take the girls upstairs to our bedroom, lock the door and call 911. Lindsey and I will do the rest.”
Then one day a couple of years ago after we moved, I overheard Brad and Beau discussing a NEW plan. “So Lindsey will get the girls upstairs and you and I will…”
I jumped in. “Wait a second! I’ve been DEMOTED to UPSTAIRS with the GIRLS? What happened to you and me protecting our kids?”
Beau, who had passed me in height at this point and was closing in on Brad, stood up a little straighter, puffed up his chest and threw his arm around my shoulders. “I’M gonna protect YOU now,” he informed me, smiling proudly.
So we’re prepared. We’ve got life insurance and every other manner of insurance ever created by man. Our wills are in place and filed safely at our attorney’s office. We’ve got retirement plans, savings for the kids’ cars and colleges (and praying for scholarships). I made sure Brad, Beau and I all have the glass-break/seatbelt cutter in our glove compartments so we can never get trapped in our cars. We’ve got a meet-up location specified in case we get separated and can’t use our phones (although I can’t remember what it is. Probably need to follow up on that.).
We are reasonably (maybe a little unreasonably) prepared.
But after Harvey hit Texas earlier this week, I realized that maybe we need a plan for more than just our family.
The same me that wanted to jump on a plane to Africa with a machine gun after Boko Haram stole all those precious little girls showed back up en force after viewing the first of the flood footage from the devastated area.
“Brad, we gotta do something!”
“What exactly do you want to do?”
“I don’t know. But SOMEthing.”
“All we can do is send money to the right organizations and pray.”
“I want to go out there.”
Sigh. “I know you do. But you’d just be in the way.”
“Hey, I could sit on a boat and someone could hand me a baby, a dog, a kid or whatever and I could hold it until we get to dry land. An extra set of hands, you know.”
Well, needless to say, I’m still sitting on my dry butt here in safe, air-conditioned Orlando. We made a donation and now I’m supposed to be praying.
It’s embarrassing to admit this, but prayer just doesn’t seem like ENOUGH, you know?
I’m starting to feel like we need to be prepared in a new way: prepared for OTHER PEOPLE’S DISASTERS.
The other day I was recounting Ocala’s run in with Hurricane Frances several years ago. One of the biggest, slowest-moving storms to date, it covered the entire state. It didn’t just blow through. Nope, it just hung out for a few days, dumping rain and releasing high winds that many of our gorgeous live oaks just couldn’t withstand.
I was lucky enough to be working at First Baptist Church of Ocala at the time.
One thing I love most about that church is the Disaster Relief Team. Trained church members who deploy to all corners of the country when disaster strikes. And when Frances made her unwelcome visit back in the day, the church sprang into action.
And it wasn’t just the disaster relief team. Any church ladies who had power at their house started cooking up a storm for people who still didn’t have power and couldn’t afford to keep eating out. Every member of our pastoral staff was out in people’s yards (members and non-members) wielding chainsaws and leading teams of volunteers to help. I remember riding with one of our wealthiest (and older) church members in her brand new Jaguar to go work in people’s yards.
Our missions pastor took multiple groups out into Ocala National Forest to clear limbs off the mobile homes of people who would never darken the door to our church and could never afford to hire help.
This Cajun Navy phenomenon is one of the most moving sights I’ve seen in a long time. Just regular people using what they’ve got to help others in need. No order given, no invitation extended. Loving their neighbors. No strings attached.
As we approach the 16th anniversary of September 11, I am reminded of Operation Boatlift, an incredible rescue movement that I didn’t hear about until years later. Every year, I watch the video and am newly inspired by the guys who didn’t think twice, weren’t official, weren’t trained, but bee-lined toward the disaster, used what they had and did what they could.
So what can I do?
I can give money. We’re not rich by any means, but we can give. Samaritan’s Purse, the Red Cross, Preemptive Love are all great organizations to support to represent my family in the disaster. Many churches have teams heading toward Texas or have set up funds for their relief.
I can donate blood and/or platelets. I have a beautiful vein in my left arm that is easy to access and am blood type O+, which is the kind in highest demand. However, I need to make sure that my donation is directed toward the disaster and not just being sold to local hospitals. This website has more info.
Many bleeding hearts (like myself) panic when disaster strikes and just want to do anything they can. But the wrong kind of relief is worse than no relief at all. Unsolicited donations can become a burden and a hindrance to relief efforts, so we gotta give smart. Pay attention to what is NEEDED, not just what YOU want to give.
You know what else I’m considering? Maybe I’ll start a personal disaster relief fund. Maybe I’ll start squirreling away money, not just for when something happens to ME, but just for when something happens to my neighbor, even the one who lives in a different time zone or zip code.
It was well known in the time of Jesus that the law said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
But in the Gospel of Luke, an expert of the law ‘wanted to justify himself,’ so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”
Excellent question. And he got a very long and very shocking answer.
What followed was the well-known parable of the Good Samaritan.
In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. The next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’
“Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”
The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”
Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.” (Luke 10:30-37)
So in this story, the religious people dropped the ball and the only one who did it right was considered the scum of the earth to Jesus’ audience because of his nationality. Yeah, I’m pretty sure He did that on purpose.
And in case you were wondering who ‘your neighbor’ is and if that includes people in Texas you’ve never met, your neighbor is ANYONE, especially those in need.
So like the Samaritan man, I say we go and do likewise.
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