ARE YOU
READY FOR DISASTER?
As
I (Henry) woke up that morning God spoke to my spirit and said, “You just need
to leave.” I had been through a number
of hurricanes and knew that God could protect you from the devastation that
comes from them. Our home was 25 miles
from the coast and 100 feet above sea level.
It was the place family and friends from the coast ran to when a storm
approached. But, the still small voice
inside me kept saying, “You just need to leave.” Normally we simply prayed for God’s
protection from the storm, and He always answered that prayer.
By mid-morning there was a general
evacuation order for the whole county.
We took care of things the best we could, then we packed our bags and
left. Some friends felt led to come, lay
hands on and pray for the huge pine trees that were all around our
property. This prayer was answered and
although many of them fell no significant damage was done to our house. God had built the house and as we closed the
door to leave I told the Lord, “You gave us this house. If it’s still here when we return Praise Your
Name. If it’s not Praise Your Name. Your will be done. We trust you.” God protected our property. Praise His name!!
As
we fled from hurricane Katrina the interstate was jammed. Traffic was moving literally 5 miles an hour
or less. We made the decision to leave
the interstate and take the back roads.
I was very familiar with the area because of my walks with the cross.
The trip to my brother’s, about 300 miles east, normally took 5 or 6 hours.
This time it took 11 hours.
As
we’re writing this, the news is full of possible disasters. Drought and possible economic collapse of
several countries is a present reality.
The US Department of Homeland Security tells us it’s not a matter of if
disaster will strike, but when. It could
be man-made or natural, but it is coming.
The Bible tells us that there will be “perilous times” in the last
days. We need to walk in The Light and be prepared to respond when
disaster comes. The same voice that
spoke to me before Katrina woke me a few days ago and told me, “Disaster is
coming. Be prepared to flee.” How can we be prepared? Listed below are some of the things God has
taught us from our own experience of dealing with disasters, and by observing
what happens during disasters from news media reports.
From our experience PRAYERFULLY
PREPARING FOR DISASTER INVOLVES:
1.
GROWING TO KNOW GOD. Learn to
hear His voice. Only He can tell you
what you should do. He will tell you
whether to leave or stay. If He tells
you to leave, He’ll also tell you where to go.
2. BEING
READY FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF LEAVING IN 5 MINUTES OR LESS. Here are some things
to consider.
A. HAVE A DAY PACK ready that you
can grab on a moment’s notice with these essential items.
Copies of important personal
documents.
Passport, driver’s license,
medical coverage, etc.
Cash (Minimum of $100 in bills smaller than
$20.)
3 day’s supply of food. protein bars,
energy bars, etc.
A bottle of water, and a water
bottle with a built in water filter.
At least 1 change of clothes
including flip flops or Crocs.
Small pack of personal toiletries.
An emergency blanket
An emergency raincoat or poncho.
An emergency shelter.
A Swiss army knife and/or Leatherman.
Cigarette lighter or waterproof
matches.
Hand generated flashlight.
Hand generated radio.
Binoculars
First Aid Kit
B. If you have a vehicle DO NOT let the gas tank
get below 1/2.
BICYCLES are a good
alternative means
of transportation.
C. HAVE A PREDETERMINED PLACE
where you feel God wants
you to go in case of disaster.
Make sure all family members know
how to get there. Family members should carry a piece of paper
with their name, and a map and address of the place they are to
go. Also contact information, phone numbers, email addresses etc.
of other family
members. PLAN YOUR
ESCAPE ROUTE SO
YOU WILL AVOID MAIN ROADS. They will probably be too
congested in an emergency.
D. MAINTAIN A THIRTY DAY SUPPLY
OF NON PERISHABLE
FOOD AND GOODS. Keep
it in a container or trunk you can grab
on a moment’s notice and place in your
vehicle. Rotate the contents
every 3 months.
E. MAINTAIN A CONTAINER OF
CAMPING EQUIPMENT that
you can grab and place in your
vehicle on a moment’s notice.
Tents, air mattresses, air pump, sleeping bags, cooking utensils etc.
should be included.
F. KEEP YOUR IMPORTANT FAMILY
DOCUMENTS IN A SMALL
WATERPROOF CONTAINER that you can grab on a moment’s
notice. Deeds, birth certificates, passports, insurance
papers, Wills,
Powers of Attorney, bank documents etc. should be included.
G. SOLAR POWER FOR CELL PHONES,
LIGHTS AND OTHER
THINGS IS AVAILABLE. You may want
to include this in the
things you pack.
H. KEEP
ANY MEDICATIONS YOU TAKE IN A SMALL
WATERPROOF CONTAINER that you can grab on a moment’s
notice.
3. If
God blesses and you’re able to PREPARE A PLACE TO FLEE TO
AHEAD OF TIME, you
will want to keep
a 6 months’ supply of
non-perishable items there. Be sure to rotate these supplies as
much as
you can.
4.
PRACTICE DISASTER PREPAREDNESS twice a year if possible.
REMEMBER OUR HOPE IS IN GOD! He is the one we are to look to when disaster
comes. Prepare as much as you can and then approach each situation with
prayer.
SCRIPTURES TO CONSIDER:
The LORD hears his people when they call to him for
help. He rescues them from all their troubles.
Psalm 34:17
The righteous person faces
many troubles, but the LORD
comes to the rescue each time.
Psalm 34:19
Then call on me when you
are in trouble, and I will
rescue you, and you will give me glory.
Psalm 50:15
A prudent man foresees
evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished.
Proverbs
22:3 & 27:12
Henry &
Rita Pulsifer
As God leads share this
message with someone.
Feel free to make
copies.
If you would like to know more about preparing for disaster, please contact us.
P.O. Box 633
Grapevine, TX 76099
USA
Copyright
2012 Brothers & Sisters in Christ
