September has been set aside as Prepared Readiness month. Just how prepared should we be for emergencies?

Just the other day, we had a power outage around 7:30 a.m. at our house. My wife and I are all about being prepared for power outages, so we had our flashlights located in easy to find areas throughout the house. I made it to the flashlight on the nightstand immediately, so I thought I was pretty smart. Only problem, the batteries were very low, so I started scrabbling for the next flashlight location before my light went out!

The accident ahead had closed one lane of the expressway and slowed traffic to a crawl. As far as I could see, the line of cars before me snaked its way southward at a snail’s pace entirely ignoring my fast approaching appointment.

Common questions raced through my mind resurrected from memories of other similar situations: Why hadn’t I left earlier? What would those who were depending on me do if I didn’t arrive on time? How much time would this traffic tie-up cost me?

During a recent caribou hunt with my 12-year-old son I was reminded again about what is really important on a “road trip.” The hunt was a success, but there was more joy in our journey than in actually arriving at our final location. My son and I grew in relationship while traveling down the road, through the rain and across the muddy trails. The road trip was not about the destination or even the hunt, it was about relationship. Sometimes in life we make practices or even things more important than relationships — especially with God.

The letter I received from a man in Southwest Africa brightened my day. In spite of the violence in his homeland and serious financial problems, he’s learned the value of starting each day thankful to be alive, choosing to enjoy the beauty of the morning rather than focus on fears about what may come his way before nightfall. In doing so, this former worrier is following the advice of our Lord who told His followers to live one day at a time (Matthew 6:34).