It’s Official. I am Worried and Rapturous.

I say this in jest…

While awaiting the rapture on May 21, 2011, I was caught up in reflection about the state of the planet and my own life.  10 years ago, I had a very short list of things that truly concerned me.  I am not a “believer of  the  end of times philosophies of Edgar Cayce, Nostra Domas, the Mayan Calendar or Book of Revelations.   And by the way, Mr. Harold Camping (God bless you), it looks like your math was wrong again.   What is it that makes humans believe they can predict God’s plans?

End of world predictions have been around since the beginning of recorded history.  And, one could almost buy into the predictions by looking at recent events.  In the last 3 months, the planet has experienced what seems to be a rapid acceleration of natural disasters.  The tsunami and earthquakes in Japan.  Devastating tornados ripping through the mid-west.  Biblical flooding of the mighty Mississippi have happened in such rapid succession that it is becoming difficult to ignore end times prophesies and conspiracy theories.  It takes great self-control to ward off feelings of fear.

More than once, I have been pushed to my personal tipping point. The irrational part of me wants to crawl into a cave and hibernate until it’s all over.  The rational part of me is battening down the hatches and preparing for the worst—whatever it may be.

The fear and panic often associated with the unexplainable are often driven by lack of understanding, unfamiliarity or plain old ignorance.  As a coping mechanism, humans tend to adopt a state of denial. Knowing this, my personal strategy usually includes massive research and facing the challenge head on.

In the past, this strategy has helped me operate more proactively.  Not now.  My trusted strategy isn’t working as well as expected. I have accepted that I have zero control over weather related events.  However, there is a growing list of trends that I understand intimately, and the more I learn, the more uncomfortable I become.

Do any of these trends concern you?

• Inflation / Deflation
• The lack of fundamentals in our economy to support a sustainable recovery
• Rampant joblessness and under-employment
• Lack of high paying jobs requiring advanced education or skills
• Failing education system
• A real estate market that most likely won’t recover for decades
• Our government’s refusal to take control of our nation’s energy independence
• Drug cartels on our borders
• Government corruption and ineffectiveness
• Loss of our constitutional freedoms and privacy rights
• Crippling Debt (personal, municipal, state and federal)
• The Triple F’s:  The Federal Reserve, Fannie, Freddie
• Terrorism (all forms, especially cyber terrorism)
• Moral disengagement
• The impending collapse of the dollar
• Breaking through the debt ceiling (www.nationaldebtclock.org)
• One-world order
• Global food shortages
• Natural and manmade disasters
• Political unrest
• Crazy foreign dictators
• The strengthening of the caliphate
• Turning our back on Israel

Global warming doesn’t even make my list.  It’s all a slightly overwhelming.

Based on the increased popularity of certain keywords like “food storage”, “where to buy a gun”, and “how to buy gold”, “Caliphate”, “cyber terrorism”, etc… I realize I am not alone in my concerns. More and more folks are investing in precious metals and governments world-wide are in competition to increase their reserves.  Several major suppliers of freeze dried foods and emergency preparedness supplies are experiencing shortages.  Applications for gun permits are increasing and there is a run on ammunition.  These are all indications that folks are feeling less and less certain about the future.

Perhaps we are reaching a collective tipping point.

I believe this worrying about the future and preparation for difficult times is a sign of enlightenment.  It means we are waking up to reality.  To me, preparation is NOT an attempt to outwit God.  It satisfies a desire to provide comfort in times of need.  On our journey through life, we will enjoy times of great prosperity, peace and happiness, but we will also endure periods of intense suffering.   To imagine our own inevitable suffering is almost unbearable.  That is why so much of modern society is devoted to numbing our pain and awareness.   Instant gratification and the relentless pursuit of the good life are welcome distractions.  But if we are honest, we will also face the inevitable, and prepare for times when life is not so great.

Difficult times present awesome opportunities to defy the odds and partake of lifes’ greatest gift—the chance to provide aid and comfort to another human being. I came to this realization while wondering about Mr. Camping’s predictions of rapture.  I realized the “rapture” is right here in what we do in our everyday lives.  To my surprise, the act of preparing for doomsday has been spiritual as well as practical.  I dare say, it has been “rapturous”.

Even with the increased awareness, the number of us who are prepared is still alarmingly low.   According to the Red Cross, just 30% of American families have a disaster plan.  Are you part of the 30% that is ready or the 70% who will have the rug pulled out from underneath them when disaster strikes?

If you are well down the preparedness path, please share your experiences.  And, don’t forget to take the poll about your long term food storage.  What are you worried about?  What are you doing to prepare?  Most importantly, what are you doing to help?  Please, take a moment to pray for our fellow Americans who are really suffering right now, and donate whatever you can to the American Red Cross to help victims of the recent flooding and tornadoes and As A Mom is giving away care packages for the kids.

http://www.redcross.org/

http://www.asamom.org