The Big Freeze 

For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?

Luke 14:28 ESV

A couple of years back, Texas went through a terrible winter storm. We’re not accustomed to snow and ice in the Houston area, so it caught most of us off-guard. Though the beautiful scene captivated us, the experience was also a little frightening, since most of our roads were completely shut down and stores were closed. 

Now that my kids are grown, I live alone. I’m rarely frightened by anything, but when the power went out and the temperatures inside my tiny duplex dropped into the 40s, I got a little nervous. I did everything I could to take care of myself, but, unfortunately, I was ill-prepared for this blackout. 

It's Good to be Prepared

Oh, I had a few essentials—a flashlight, candles, and so on. And, I was so grateful to have a gas stove so that I could keep the water in the kettle heated for coffee and soup. But there were so many other things I didn’t have, and this situation only seemed to complicate itself when I tried to use the charger in my car, but ended up running the car battery down. (Foolish mistake, I know!) 

For three days, we struggled through low temperatures before the power finally came back on. I was grateful and so were my puppies, who were tired of being cooped up in the house! 

As soon as the storm ended, I went online and ordered all of the things I wished I’d had during those difficult three days—a heavy scarf, gloves, thermal underclothes, and sweaters for my dogs. I also bought battery-operated lanterns, a small portable generator, plenty of AA batteries, a head lamp, and a variety of other things, including hand warmers and a heavy blanket for my bed. 

Next time I won’t be caught off-guard! 

Maybe you’ve been there, too. It’s tough when you’re unprepared! God wants us to count the cost before the storms of life come. Don’t be caught off-guard, wishing you had what you need. 

Are there areas of your life where you need to be better prepared? Let this story be the nudge you need to get those things taken care of. 

Challenging Thought: Have you ever jumped into a situation without counting the cost? How did that end? 

Read more devotions like this one in a new book Janice co-authored with Louise Looney titled An Overcoming Walk of Peaks and Valleys, now available on Amazon!