I’m Fixin To

Hurricane season begins June 1st. Am I prepared? That is a question we should ask ourselves at this time of year. Depending on personality type, you may be the one who has already prepared for hurricane season. You are always prepared. The opposite is the person who waits until the very last minute and is not prepared at all. Most of us fit in somewhere between the two extremes. We will talk about getting ready, read a hurricane preparation guide, do some planning, wait patiently, and listen to the weather forecasters.
When we lived in Texas, we learned a phrase used in a variety of situations, “I’m fixin to.” As an example, “I am fixin to get ready for hurricane season.” Those words imply that one is at least thinking about getting ready and may have started preparations.
How do we prepare for the emotional and spiritual storms in our lives? Do we approach life’s storms like we do a hurricane? Do we have a continual preparation approach? We know the storms will come, so we prepare all the time by prayer, meditation, reading of scripture, reaching out to others for support and participation in a faith-based church, temple, or mosque? By doing these things we better prepare ourselves for the storms of life.
The other end of the spectrum is to live with little or no preparation for the storms of life. Do we take the “I’m fixin to” approach to our emotional and spiritual lives? We think about doing something but never really act on it. That approach to life can leave us in a spiritual, emotional, and sometimes physical mess. Studies show an active spiritual life helps in all situations of life, physical, emotional, and spiritual.
Planning for a hurricane will make a difference before during and after the storm. Planning for the storms of life will make a difference before during and after each of the storms we face. Start planning!