Chapter 4: Act

One can put a plan into place, make lists, organize one's thoughts, and never actually put one's plan into motion.  How effective is that?  I know a lot of people who have faith in the plans they've laid out.  However, they haven't actually taken any steps to prepare for disaster.  It's alright to do the research and decide where you'll store your food and water, decide which types of foods you'll need and what containers you want to use.  However, simply writing a list will not help you in times of need.  You need to ACT!

There is a part of each of us that wants to believe things will always be OK.  How many times I've heard someone express the sentiment, "I never thought it would happen to me!"  My dad always used to tell us to "hope for the best, but plan for the worst."  This is advice we can all use.

How much good is your list of necessities going to do you if there is no food on the shelves?  How much good is your choice of water containers going to do if you don't actually purchase them and fill them up?

You can have all the faith in your plan that you want to... but as the Bible says:  faith without works is dead.

Now is the time to put those plans into action.

I was one of those people.  I have spent much of my life aware of the darker side of humanity.  Being involved in ministry, one often comes face to face with the deepest forms of human depravity.  It's a part of the job.  It neither scares me nor impresses me much.  However, that, along with my law enforcement training, has taught me to be prepared for confrontations with people whose intentions are less than honorable.  I've also been through a natural disaster or two, which has taught me the importance of being prepared for times of economic difficulty as well.

But, it wasn't good enough just to think about it.  That's only the first step.  You see, I've always been a planner.  I make lists, sketch things out, and try to think of all contingencies.  It is the way my mind works.  The problem is, lists won't feed my family when times get tough.  Lists won't protect them from folks who have bad intentions for them.  At that point, my list is just a preliminary tool.  It's what I do with that list that matters.

I can price ammunition all day long, but until I buy some and put it into secure storage, it does me no good.  I can think of ways to harden my home all I want to, but until I break out the hammer and nails and make it happen, my plans are useless daydreams.

My dad always taught me that love isn't a feeling, it's an action.  Well, ladies and gents, I love my family.  I love them enough to put into action the plans I've made to protect and provide for them.  In hard times, my family will eat and survive.  In treacherous times, my family will be effectively defended from all foes.  Why?  Because I'm not relying on my lists, I'm filling them.  I'm training my family in the proper responses to various situations.  I'm acting on my plans.

Get your food stocked up.  Time is short.
Get your defenses in place, and know when and how to use them to their utmost effectiveness.  The time is coming.
Get your escape plan figured out, along with alternate routes and rally points.  Practice those routes.  Quiz your family members.  The time could be today.

Plan... Prepare... Act!