Christmas is a time of joy and happiness.  Yet sometimes realities of our situation press upon us and we find little joy or happiness.

Times have gotten real hard real fast for a lot of people this Christmas.  But for many, every day of the year can be hard, so when Christmas rolls around, there’s no way to get those extras that make Christmas perfect.

My thoughts have been with several events and situations where Christmas ends up being a heartbreaking and difficult time of year.  Of course, every year we hear of families who are unable to provide gifts for their children.  Typically, the reason for this is because there is a member of the family who is on drugs, or is an alcoholic, or maybe there is an unwise use of time and mentality.  When adults make mistakes, it’s always the children who suffer.

What of those people who meet with a sudden disaster? There have been so many natural disasters around us, but there are many who still suffer economic disaster as well. And what of refugees who come into this country with nothing?

Preparedness is important on many levels. It not only allows us to provide for our own families but frees us to help others.

Food, shelter, and dry, comfortable clothing will always be a need for someone, year round. I’ve often reflected on the sad reality that food banks and care centers seem to be filled with good Samaritans, but what happens the rest of the year?

What have the prophets really meant when they counsel us to be prepared? Is it always for disasters or hard times? Is it to show our obedience? Or is it to make ourselves available to others? Maybe all the above.

If we seek to be prepared, the basics should be collected gradually and in an organized manner, so that when emergencies arise, we will be able to grab them at a moment’s notice or survive on them when it is impossible to get to the store. I knew a woman who had an incredible storage system, but when she brought her husband home from surgery, she found she still needed to run to the store for Tylenol. Of all things!

It’s hard to know what the need might be, but a realistic outlook and a preparedness mindset can help a lot.

I have to share with you a ridiculous statement I read once.  Someone asked Martha Stewart how she had so much energy to do what she does.  Her answer was, “I stay away from cans of food.”  I see three things outlandishly wrong with this statement:

1. What does she think they fed her in prison? Unless she was special enough to get a separate menu, which frankly, wouldn’t be surprising.
2. Her Prima Dona example is not very realistic for the rest of us.
3. When times get hard and emergencies happen – and they will – she won’t survive for very long.

Physical preparedness is one very important thing to consider, especially in the cold, winter months, but always all year round. But it is spiritual preparedness that our leaders are so desperate to teach us now. Spiritually, we must stay close and sensitive to the Spirit, do our own teaching by example, and stay faithful through the hard times that will come.

Christmas is a good time to reflect on what is truly important to us. The New Year is a good time to set goals that will cleanse bad habits. The coming year will have many surprises for us. We should be prepared.