Be Prepared

     Growing up as a Boy Scout, I learned that scouts do four things: They live by the Scout Oath and the Scout Law, and they practice the Scout Slogan and Motto. The way we remembered the Motto when we were younger was to remember that there were two "t's" in motto, so it was two words long: Be Prepared.
     What are we supposed to "be prepared" for? Are we supposed to prepare for the test that is a few weeks down the road? Do we prepare for the situations that might befall us? Are we ready should a massive flood hit our town? If a ninja we to sneak up behind you, would you be prepared to fend it off should it make the mistake of making its presence known before completing its task? The truth is, we should try our best to prepare for anything we can. Truth be told, I wouldn't be ready for the flood or the ninja. There are several things that I am currently not prepared for that I should be. We need to prepare for the short term as well as the long term.
     To prepare for the short term, make sure you have enough clothes and food to last until you have the opportunity to get more. Keep a first aid kit with some band-aids, and whatever else you think should be in a first aid kit. It is also good to have a little bit of money stashed away somewhere should the need arise.
     After preparing for the short term, get ready for the long haul. Get yourself food storage. Make sure you have enough potable water to last you for anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks to 3 months. A shovel could be a useful tool to have for those "just in case" situations. Make sure you keep supplies that will keep you warm in cold situations and cool in warm situations.
     I've talked about preparing for your non-everyday occurrences, but you need to be ready for the everyday occurrences as well. Keep up with work, whether that be school or a job. When you fall behind, you stay behind. Sure, there is a chance you can catch up, but it is much easier if you stay ahead. There are times you get sick and you don't have a chance to stay up with the times. In these times, you must be vigilant and seek to get back on the horse and be ready to do more than you were doing before for a time.
     Why be prepared? Don't take my word for it. This is a lesson history has taught us. Those who aren't prepared often fail. Even those who do prepare fail at times. Your chances of being successful and surviving in some situations increase when you are prepared. This past March I went on an outing that I like to call "Mann vs Wild". Several other youth in my stake group went out to the desert without supplies and were told to survive. If it weren't for the leaders that came with us, we likely would not have made it. We didn't know what we could and couldn't eat. We didn't know how to get water. Now we do and can be prepared should the situation arise that we are ever stuck out in the desert and need to survive.
     Sometimes unexpected situations occur that we can't plan for. In this case we must do our best to adapt to the situation. When adaptation is not possible, accept what comes in stride and live knowing you did what you could.
     God doesn't want us to fail, but He isn't going to hand us a perfect life on a silver platter. Remember that He loves you and that everything He does is meant to help you grow closer to Him. Prepare for what you can. Live with and adapt to what you can't prepare for.