Lead The Way!

     You can feel it in the air, can't you?  The signs are accumulating .... the financial sector is nervous and Wall Street is unstable; the price of Silver is bottoming out; our debt is higher and our return on investments is lower;  middle management layoffs result in over-qualified personnel competing with over-educated college graduates; food prices are skyrocketing, along with insurance premiums and the feeling of fear.  Sounds an awful lot like 2008, when we in America began living a new reality, doesn't it?  And yes, it sure feels like we are hitting another milestone in our downward spiral.
     But I would like to suggest that this time is different, and that we can actually have a positive outlook in the midst of yet another looming downturn.  You see, there are a great number of us who have learned a lot in the last six years.  Our eyes are wide open and we've shaken off the paralysis of fear and uncertainty.  We're ready and prepared to face a radically different future in America, and I actually see these new rumblings at our foundations as a renewed opportunity to make America stronger.  Let me explain why ...
     First of all, I can always tell when America is coming out of its normalcy bias stupor when the phone starts ringing, and the questions start flying ... What would you suggest we do to preserve our savings?  How can we counter the high price of food at the grocery store?  What are your thoughts about our economy?  Is it stable?  What everyone is really asking is, "I'm a little worried about the future. Can you talk me off the cliff?"
     So here is the first positive effect of this threat of a downturn in our fortunes -- a new segment of the population is waking up!  It may have taken them a little longer, and you might want to shout, "It's about time!", but resist the chance to gloat, and instead, welcome them aboard!  We have just been given an opportunity to help them get in a readied state.  The more people that are prepared to deal physically, mentally and spiritually with whatever is in our future, the more chance this country has to survive.
     Granted, I believe that this time around, the threats we face are more serious... terrorism in the homeland and threats of a pandemic disease seem as though they trump any economic woes we might face.  But those of us who confronted the monster in 2008 have been "purified in the fire", so to speak, and can now provide a solid footing for those who must undergo their own deliverance from fear.  And they won't have to stumble through the process of discovery as we did; we can get them up to speed quicker, while guiding them and introducing them to all the ways that they can experience peace and strength in adverse circumstances.
      It might be in the area of physical training, such as gardening, or self-defense, or how to care for the medical needs of their family.  We can help them learn how to mentally prepare for those things that could radically change our way of life, such as an electric grid-down situation, and what that looks like -- no heating or air conditioning; no internet; no transportation.  Many of us have spent the last six years thinking all this through, and developing and perfecting the best ways to sustain ourselves and our families.  Now this new generation of awakened Americans will be the beneficiaries of our hard-earned knowledge.
     For those "old-timers" that might feel a little off-balance, this is not a time to cocoon ourselves in a new layer of panic; but a great opportunity to share our wisdom and broaden and expand the readiness, independence and personal power of America.

     But I want to stress that the best way we can assist and advise our fellow countrymen is spiritually.    Because what we, the first wave of American Preppers, have learned above all else, is that none of the rest of our planning matters if we don't include God.  In fact, as we are given the opportunity to coach someone new in all they need to know to protect themselves and their family, our instruction should seamlessly blend with our testimony of God's true salvation.  There is no time to waste!  The greatest way to "prepare" for their immediate future, is to assure their eternal life by accepting Jesus as their Savior -- that's real security.  The rest is all temporary!
     So, let's not view the unsettling signs on the horizon with fear and trepidation.  Let's take advantage of the opportunity to reach new people -- reach them for our communities, our country, and ultimately, to glorify our God.

1 Peter 3:15   "But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you;"