How are We So Prepared?

We have been living in our tent for over a month. At times it feels like our journey just began and other times it feels like we’ve been doing this forever! When we found our spot to set up camp, we were already very prepared. More so than you might expect. You might not know it judging by our tent, but God had us prepare for this several months ago. Back in February, Sam had a feeling he needed to get ready. For what? That answer was unclear. We knew we had to be obedient and now some of the supplies he got are exactly what we needed for such a time as this. He would often watch YouTube videos and just learned all he could.

Because of Sam’s medical condition, he has a hard time wearing a mask. Ultimately, he ended up losing his job, which brought us to selling our 4 bedroom house, moving to Missoula, Montana, only to run into the same problem. Nobody wanted to hire him because of his medical condition. Then he was kicked out of the office of our apartment and faced an unnecessary legal battle, for the same reason. During this time, we considered what to do next. This gave us plenty of time to research in order to be as prepared as we possibly could. Which now leads us to our tent life.

I have to be honest though. I never used to be prepared like this. For anything. In fact, I myself never understood why people would want to stock up on various supplies. “Why not just go to the store when you run out?” I would often ask myself. What I didn’t understand at the time is that I was thinking very foolishly. Who knows what can happen in the meantime, a natural disaster, power outage for days, loss of a job, loss of a loved one, or even to be able to bless a neighbor. We cannot foresee the future so having a preparedness mindset is actually Biblical.

Do you remember the parable of the 10 virgins? It’s found in Matthew 25:1–13. They each took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. Five were foolish and used their oil right away. The other five were wise and spared what they had. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slept and at midnight and there was a cry. It was the bridegroom coming. All the virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. Those who were foolish asked the other five to spare some. This was not possible because the five who were wise had just enough for themselves. The five foolish virgins went out to buy more oil and while they were gone, they missed the bridegroom and were shut out. They missed their chance because they were unprepared.

As I write this out, I can’t help but think about Noah. He lived in the desert and God instructed him to build a giant boat. If you think about it, God asked Noah to build a giant zoo to float on the water. Isn’t that a crazy thing to think about? A huge boat in the middle of the desert that’s supposed to carry two of every animal that walked the earth. He was told to prepare. He was given specific dimensions that must be followed. It says in Genesis 7:5 “And Noah did according unto all that the Lord commanded him.” He didn’t question. He didn’t hesitate. He got to work even if he may not have understood at the time. He prepared and was ready for the coming storm, literally.

To some who don’t understand our circumstance, we just look like a couple of homeless people living in a tent in the middle of the desert. Technically, we are. But we’re prepared. We have solar panels that plugs into our generator to give us power. We have a wood stove to keep us warm at night. We have cleaning supplies. We have everything we need. How is this possible? It’s because God had us prepare for this moment in time. I am so thankful for His leading. When we loaded up our cargo trailer, we still didn’t know where we were going, but we followed His lead and now here were are, in the middle of the desert. Of all places.

Why am I talking about being prepared? Whether you see it now or see it later, many will be in the same position as us. We never would be prepared like this if it wasn’t for God compelling us to do so. As Americans, we have become so dependent on the big retail stores that we don’t know what to do for a coming disaster. “Back in the day,” people used to be completely self sufficient. Ask yourself, if your power went out and you had no way of getting to the store for supples, would you be ready? With that being said, I encourage you to seek the Lord’s wisdom. Ask him to show you how to prepare for the coming storm. You may not end up in a tent like us, but maybe you’ll lose your job in the coming months. You may not end up in the desert, but maybe you’re in a colder environment and your power is shut off. Each situation is unique but I fully believe that if we trust God, He will lead us to the next step.

One final thought, remember, when the Israelites were being led out of Egypt, they were led to the Red Sea with no where to go. Behind them was Pharaoh’s army. They had their backs against the wall and they had a choice, trust God or go back. Like the Israelites, you may soon have to trust God in the same manner. You may feel as though you have your back against the wall, but, that is when God will show up in a powerful way.