It goes without saying that, among prep circles, the words “emergency preparedness” are recognized “buzz words”. But unfortunately, “Sustainable Living” is hardly even mentioned. Like many things in America, now days, the most important
and beneficial things are shoved back behind others that are more convenient, faster, and require less effort.
I am not saying that emergency preparedness is a bad thing. Emergency Preparedness is a good
thing and should be practiced even by those who live a sustainable lifestyle. But the problem is emergency preparedness alone
is far, far more limiting then “Sustainable Living”.
The appetite of the sluggard craves and gets nothing,
but the appetite of the diligent is abundantly supplied.
Prov 13:4 AMP
For example where an emergency preparedness
enthusiast might scour the internet to find the best canned beans available; another that pursues “Sustainable Living”
skills can tell you how to plant beans and maybe even the varieties that work well in their growing zone. And while an emergency
preparedness enthusiast might have plenty of Trioxane fire starters stored up, the person interested in “Sustainable
Living” may have some Trioxane but they will also have something like a metal match or “flint and steel”
that, although not as convenient it, will provide them with a nearly infinite number of fires.
Emergency Preparedness and Sustainable Living can certainly over lap but I hope you can see
my point; even though the results can be similar, there is a different approach from a very different point of reference.
Emergency Preparedness says to purchase some survival type items
and then find a good, out-of-the-way, storage place so that the items are out of sight – out of mind until they are
hopefully never needed. On the other hand “Sustainable Living Skills” will incorporate preparedness into their
lifestyle in a practical sort of way.
I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. I know both
how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I
am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need.
Phil 4:11-12
For
instance; in reference to the examples above, generally speaking, a person who routinely starts a fire using a “metal
match” (or other more na
tural methods) will be able to start a fire using raw materials, where ever they may find themselves, long after the others’
Trioxane has been used up and the cardboard or wooden matches are gone. And when all of the commercially canned beans are
used up and difficult to replenish, the person who practices a “Sustainable Living” lifestyle will be experienced
and able to grow, and then home-can, more beans themselves.
Obviously
there is much more involved with this then what we have covered here today but hopefully you can see the difference between
sustainable living and emergency preparedness.
We’ll
address this issue much more in the future but because this is a blog, and not a book, I think we’ll stop here for now.
But hopefully you can see the advantage of learning “Sustainable Living” skills rather than limiting your chances
of surviving an unexpected event to how many supplies you can afford to stock up on and then hoping that you happen to be
at home when an unexpected event occurs.
Oh, and this lifestyle is
very applicable to both the rural and the urban situation but again, we’ll discuss that in days to come.
I’ll see you in the field,
Parson Rayphe
