For whatever reason, the word “preparedness” has been coming to my mind lately.  I don’t really understand it, but when something happens more than once (it usually happens in threes for me), I sit up and pay attention.  It’s usually God trying to get my attention, although I haven’t fully decided if this topic is divine-intervention or not. 

I have a pantry and I try to buy things to feed my family in a pantry-stocking manner.  In other words, it took a little while to set up, but I’ve got items that we use regularly, purchased at the lowest price I could find at the time, available to me to use so I don’t have to pay top-dollar when I need them.  Makes sense, right?

I think so.

I’ve not been stockpiling water, ammunition, or other items that some people do - mostly because I don’t see a need for them, and partly because I don’t want to be lumped in that “crazy group” of people who are ready to live in an underground bunker someplace in the Rocky Mountains.  And yes, I’m serious.  I know people like this and would rather not partake in a conspiracy-theory, no matter how plausible it might seem.

So where does “preparedness” come in for me?  Why is this an issue?  I honestly have no idea - genuinely.  And yet, it’s at the forefront of my mind and I can’t help but think that having a storehouse of items isn’t a terrible idea.

I think I struggle for two reasons:

1.  I am incredibly self-sufficient, left to my own means.  As much as I value relationships and people, I would rather Do It By Myself if given the choice.  Sometimes this is good, but lately it’s come to my attention that it’s a detriment to my spiritual walk.  If I’m reliant upon myself, then I’m not reliant upon God … you can see where this goes for me.

2.  I’m not a Latter-Day Saint (Mormon).  I’m not going to be LDS, and I understand why food-storage is a big deal and important within that particular faith.  But I’m not part of that group and that’s that.

And yet, I find myself longing for a small chest freezer to stick in the basement and to buy bulk quantities of wheat berries for my bread-making.  I find myself perusing sites that are linked to blogs about preparedness - and I don’t know why I’m there.  I wonder about #10 cans of dried goods, how I would use them, or even IF I would use them, and I find myself staring in horror at dried butter solids in a #10 can that are designed to mix with water and create a spreadable butter.

The foodie in me turns up her nose, but I wonder if it’s wise to continue to stock up on things that we use (okay, maybe not the #10 can of butter) and store them away for a rainy day (or a harder recession than we’re in now).  It seems like a good idea, and then I turn myself in a knot wondering if I’m being too self-sufficient and not God-reliant enough.

I’m conflicted - in case that wasn’t obvious.

There are certain things we will eat and some things we won’t - I’m not, for example, going to store up dried non-fat milk.  Icky.  Not when I’ve gone to great lengths and reasonable expense to procure farm-milk for my family.  There are some things that I won’t do because of the health-ramifications.  I won’t consider highly-processed foods like Twinkies®, no matter what the urban legend is about the preservatives allowing it to survive a nuclear holocaust. 

I know none of us are promised tomorrow, and I think that’s where some of my conflictedness comes from.  But then I think, even if I’m not promised tomorrow and I won’t be here, at least my family would have things they need to continue on without me…

Urg.

I talk myself in circles.  I need to figure out why this is such a hard topic for me and what my solution is.

What do you do for pantry-items and/or putting away things for the future?  What doesn’t work for you?  Why do you do what you do?

I’d love to hear your thoughts on this.  I don’t want to debate religion or theology - I’d just like to hear your ideas and tips.  I suspect we will end up with a freezer sooner rather than later, but what I stock it with will be determined by where I land on this topic.