“Too often we bask in our comfortable complacency and rationalize that the ravages of war, economic disaster, famine, and earthquake cannot happen here. Those who believe this are either not acquainted with the revelations of the Lord, or they do not believe them. Those who smugly think these calamities will not happen, that they somehow will be set aside because of the righteousness of the Saints, are deceived and will rue the day they harbored such a delusion.”

 - Ezra Taft Benson

I'm guilty of this.  Not consciously, but always having in the back of my mind, "It'll never happen to me."

 

So many things happen around me, and recently it feels like they're happening closer and closer to home.

 

This week marks the 1 year anniversary of the lose of a dear friend, Amanda.  That rocked me to the core.  She was faithful, pregnant, had a daughter, somehow in my mind I'd decided that Heavenly Father didn't take people like that, because they had a reason to be here.  I was wrong.

 

Last week a devastating earthquake hit NZ.  Haiti, Chile, Pakistan, they're all so far away. 

Christchurch, not so far.

 

I'm so grateful for Prophets who warn and caution us to be prepared.

Physically.

Emotionally.

Spiritually.

 

Because as much as I hate to admit it, as much as it terrifies me, we have no control over what happens, when it happens, and who it happens to.

 

All we can control is how prepared we are for it.

 

I resolve, in memory of Amanda, to be a little more prepared.