Disaster Preparedness!  I have an entire file devoted to this subject.  I was going to continue my thread of “Homeschooling in times of trial or crisis” and “Disaster Preparedness” might seem a little extreme for this topic, but I think it fits!  I used to joke around that our lives just flowed from one disaster to the next, and it certainly has.  But, we’ve always been able to laugh (mostly afterward) and occasionally during the crises we have endured.

Last night, our trusty weather prognosticator gave an ominous forecast of a blizzard watch, with a probability of  it hitting around midnight tonight.  It’s only taken us 14 years to be at peace with the weather here in lovely Colorado.  (Me, that is.)  I used to panic at the mere trace of a flake.  Any snow on the horizon sent me straight to the local grocery to stock up on milk, hot cocoa and marshmallows, and a few other necessities.  These days I don’t tend to panic……unless we are out of cocoa.  J

We are ALL familiar with weathering the storms of well, weather….tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards, etc., but  the weather extremes are not the types of crises I was thinking of when I started this blog.  I was thinking of health crises, job crises, or other unexpected situations that have to be dealt with NOW, no matter what you already have planned.  We have a schedule in place, but “opportunities and interruptions” sometimes blow our best laid plans right out of the water.

So other than storing up water and fuel for practical needs, what can a homeschool family do to weather the storms of life? Lets say Dad gets let go from his job, for instance.  Or, there is a new baby in the family.  Someone was just diagnosed with cancer.  The car gets totaled.  The house burns down.  Your favorite pet dies.  All of these have varying degrees of severity, but each trial or deviation from the “norm” can put anyone into a tailspin! Is there any way we can be properly prepared?

I think a close-knit Homeschooling family has an advantage, because of the relationships that are forged while spending so much time together. If you are working together, growing together and learning together, you are already building a foundation together.  The storms of life will have a hard time messing with a firm foundation.  Relationships are the mortar.

If you spend a lot of time learning together, you get to know what is expected, how to respond to the unexpected, and who to trust when things go awry.  The walls are fortified with “knowledge” of each other. Parents direct, kids obey, parents trust, Peace prevails. Trials build stronger walls.

If you are a Christian family, you know that prayer is the “roof” or covering over the family.  Prayer surrounds you, and keeps the “rain” off.  The foundation and the walls don’t mean a lot without the proper protection from above. Nobody is immune to trials.  But if you allow the Lord reign over your home, the rain won’t cause you to worry. Pray together as a family and wait for the answers.

These few principles can add a whole lot of peace in an uncertain world.  We don’t know what tomorrow holds, but we sure can know who holds tomorrow. 

One last thing---We have also found that trials and crises can be a catalyst for strengthening family ties.  You might not feel like you have the foundation, the walls OR the covering to get through the latest storm.  But I say there is nothing like a good old’ fashioned blizzard to bring a family together.

Stay warm and strong!  Don’t be afraid of the trials, they will help you all in your journey of life.

Homeschooling Is Life!

Nancy

Be sure to come by my blog and say hello, and see what we have been up to.  If it does snow, I will post some photos!

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