Can You Sleep When the Wind Blows?

Preparing our families for the future should be a daily practice and not something we only do once in a while. The following story illustrates the importance of being prepared.
Years ago, a farmer owned land along the Atlantic seacoast. He constantly advertised for hired hands. Most people were reluctant to work on farms along the Atlantic. They dreaded the awful storms that raged across the sea, wreaking havoc on the buildings and crops. As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals.
Finally, a short, thin man, well past middle age, approached the farmer. “Are you a good farm hand?” the farmer asked him. “Well, I can sleep when the wind blows,” answered the little man.
Although puzzled by this answer, the farmer, desperate for help, hired him. The little man worked well around the farm, busy from dawn to dusk, and the farmer felt satisfied with the man’s work. Then one night the wind howled loudly in from offshore.
Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and rushed next door to the hired hand’s sleeping quarters. He shook the little man and yelled, “Get Up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!”
The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly, “No sir, I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows.”
Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm. To his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins. The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured.
Everything was tied down.
Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant, so he returned to his bed to also sleep while the wind blew.
Author: Unknown
MORAL OF THIS STORY
When you are prepared physically, emotionally, and, spiritually, you have nothing to fear. Can you sleep when the wind blows through your life?
The hired hand in the story was able to sleep because he had secured the farm
against the storm.

There are so many resources available for families. We have listed just a few that we hope you will find helpful:

http://www.fema.gov/ - Click on the Plan & Prepare title and find everything from downloading forms for a family plan, to building a family emergency kit and much much more.

www.providentliving.org - Check out all the topics under family well being. You can even print out a family budget worksheet when you click on Family Finances

www.redcross.org – Look at the drop down menu under Preparing & Getting Trained. There is a whole section on Prepare Home & Family

http://www.changestartswithme.org/ – Prepare your children with a strong moral compass by teaching positive character traits like respect, caring, self-discipline, perseverance, trustworthy, integrity, positive attitude, citizenship, cooperation and responsibility. Arm them with the tools to make positive choices. This website has many valuable resources and you can sign up for their family newsletter.