“When you hear about wars and riots, don’t be afraid. These things must happen first.” (Luke 21:9)

Those of us living in the Niagara Region of Canada were warned a few days ago that the remnant of Hurricane Sandy combined with some other weather systems could trigger a Frankenstorm—a very scary prospect indeed!

We were told to expect extremely high winds in the 100 km/hour range and severe flooding. As a result we could be without electricity for a few days. We were advised to stock up on all we would need to survive for 72 hours and take other precautionary measures.

Our older son, Sathiya, made sure that anything that could get blown about by high velocity winds was in the garage. He also cleared the leaves off the ditch in front of our house, so that water could drain into the sewer system without any obstructions.

I bought candles that would provide light and heat. We bought meat that could be barbecued, in case we could not use the electric stove and oven. We made sure we had a good supply of vegetables, fruits, salads, bread and peanut butter. We brought the flashlights out and checked the batteries. We charged our cell phones.

In short, we basically did all we could to prepare for the worst.

As Monday night progressed, we read the reports and saw live footage of what was happening in parts of New Jersey and New York City when Sandy finally made landfall. It was scary, for sure. We prayed that God would spare us any serious harm.  Then we braced ourselves to face Nature’s fury.

Sure enough, soon we could hear the gusts of wind and the pelting rain. Yet, in the midst of all the turmoil, there was calmness and serenity in our household. Was it because of our faith? Yes, for sure. But, it was also because we had prepared ourselves to face whatever the storm could throw at us.

“Don’t be scared, be prepared.” These words came to mind while we were dealing with the prospect of surviving without electricity for 72 hours.

Someone pointed out that the words “Fear not” or something similar appear in the Bible 365 times. It is as though we would need to receive this reassurance on a daily basis!

Thankfully, Frankenstorm did not live up to the forecasts and we were spared any serious damage.

The morning after the storm, I met with a terminally ill woman to help plan her funeral service. As we talked, she admitted that walking through the valley of the shadow of death was scary at times. Yet, at one and the same time, preparing to face death with the help of the staff at our local hospice, the support of her family and friends and guidance from her pastor was making a difference.

On the road to reaching our destiny, there will be times when we too will be called to face frightening prospects. In times like these, may these words of wisdom guide you: “Don’t be scared, be prepared.”