Often I am asked “why?” Why did I just buy a 120-year-old
wood cook stove? Why did I grow 1,100 pounds of squash? Why am I teaching my
horses to pull? Why grow my own food and save my own seeds? Why act as my own
doctor when I could pay a professional? After all, none of that could exactly
be classified as “normal”.
When I finished school, my plan was to build the fish
business I had going at the time, perfect my homemaking skills, and learn new
skills that would prepare me to be a better wife and mama someday. My studies
quickly grew into an interest in current events and prophecy. The more I
studied, the more things I discovered that I didn’t know. Sure, I knew how to
cook on an electric stove, but what if I didn’t have electricity?
Unfulfilled prophecies, 56 trillion dollars of debt, one in
five dependent on food stamps, antibiotic resistant diseases, war, EMPs, the
list goes on. Worst of all is the spiritual and moral decline, the “tolerance”
which is really intolerance, and the persecution of believers around the world.
We live in an interesting, and exciting time. If Christ does not return soon,
things will be rough, especially for believers. We may see the worst times yet
in the history of the world. Most of you are not prepared. You are not afraid,
which is good, but neither do you have any clue about how to survive. You say
that God will provide. Will he cause bread to fall from heaven when you knew
ahead of time what would happen and were unprepared? He might, I don’t know,
but why would he do the supernatural to save you when you knew what was coming
and could have been ready? Proverbs 3:25-26 says “Be not afraid of sudden fear,
neither of the desolation of the wicked, when it cometh. For the Lord shall be
thy confidence, and shall keep thy foot from being taken.” Fear is not the same
as using wisdom and common sense to be reasonably prepared for what will
happen. When times get rough, will God send someone to give you food, or will
you be the one to give food and share the gospel with others?
I don’t know what is going to happen, but we know from
Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21 that there will be wars, famines, earthquakes,
signs in heaven and persecution. We know from what is happening in this country
that we will likely have to do without, maybe without electricity, perhaps without
cars, without a store to buy things at, without the internet, or without a
doctor, maybe all of the above. Don’t be afraid, but be ready. Consider the
possibilities and have a plan. At the very least, learn the basics of gardening, keep some heirloom
seeds on hand and have the tools you will need. Don’t shop day to day, keep enough
food and medicine on hand to see you through a temporary crisis and have a plan
to renew your supply if needed. A bag of beans is cheap and can easily be
sprouted in jars. Dandelions grow everywhere; the entire plant is edible and
nutritious. Garlic is easy to grow, and tests have shown it to be more
effective than an antibiotic.
Above all, be ready for eternity, “And when these things
begin to come to pass, look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.” – Luke 21:28
Some good resources:
The Encyclopedia of Country Living by Carla Emery
Be Your Own Doctor by Rachel Weaver
Seed to Seed by Suzanne Ashworth
The Backyard Homestead by Carleen Madigan
Thank you Kait for inspiring and teaching us to live off the land more and more. Mom
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