People

This is one subject we all fall short on. I imagine at one time or another we have all been taken in by someone. A salesman, a supposed friend and even a sworn enemy. It happens to all of us. So what can we do when everything is falling apart? There can be no doubt that in the early days of a survival situation everyone is going to be looking out for number one. Everything has gone crazy and nothing makes sense anymore. As in many past situations you can forget about both law enforcement and emergency services. Here in Florida, when the hurricane winds get too high, NOBODY goes out. Not law enforcement, not emergency medical services, not the fire department, not anyone. It is just too dangerous. Wherever you are and whatever you have is all you have until things calm down. And year after year it is proven time and again that there are people who will brave these storms to steal whatever they can. It has happened to me and my family. In the night someone walked up my driveway and stole a video camera and a chainsaw out of my fathers truck while we slept with thirty to forty mile an hour winds outside that didn't diminish until after day break. A few blocks from my home the family went to bed with their generator running. When they got up in the morning there was still the sound of the generator, but there was no power. The father went to check the generator and found that somewhere in the night a thief had stolen a lawn mower, parked and started it next to the generator and then loaded up the generator onto a truck and made away with it.

Now hurricanes are "normal" for Florida. We get them every year. Consider what is going to happen when things aren't "normal". What happens when the bad guys know that there is no law enforcement. Or worse, the cops join in on the looting. I've seen news reports of that happening. Cops making no attempt to stop the looters because they are too busy loading up shopping carts for themselves. To be sure, I'm certain that most officers will continue to do their duty, but there are always a few bad apples in every bunch. And if things get THAT bad, well they are human too and they will be thinking about themselves and their loved ones at some point. I don't blame them in circumstances like a total collapse of the economy or society in general. I mean I'm talking "Mad Max" kind of collapse. All of which brings us back to the point. Who do you trust and who do you tell to hit the road? Fortunately there are a few things we know we can count on.

If there is someone you know, I won't call him a friend, he's just someone you know that is always working a deal of some kind. These kinds of people come in two categories. The first are the ones who live by something I heard Tony Curtis say in a movie once. He played the part of a real hustler in the Navy during WW II. During a Japanese attack he decided to get a few of the things he needed for his ship. He told one of the men who questioned the wisdom of running out INTO a bombing raid "Where there is confusion, there is opportunity". Of course, Tony Curtis stole things needed to repair his ship so they could get back in the war and fight the Japanese. That is very unlike the guy who stole things from my driveway, probably to pawn so he could buy more drugs. So what is my point? Simply this, people are creatures of habit. The people who will try to manipulate you now will do so in the future. The only difference will be they will use whatever is happening to try to make you feel guilty and give them what they want. Their pleadings will be much more urgent and much more convincing. The people who try to cling to you like a vine so you will feel sorry for them and help to support them will still do that with the same sense of urgency and for the same reasons. OH YES, they will promise you the moon if that's what it takes, but you know right now that if they can not take care of themselves in good times, they will never be able to do so in bad times. I know, I know, as a Christian I am to do what I can for the less fortunate. But there is a difference between those who CAN'T do anything for themselves and those who WON'T do anything. Even The Bible says;

2Th 3:7 For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you;

2Th 3:8 Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you:

2Th 3:9 Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us.

2Th 3:10 ¶ For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat.

If someone is willing to pitch in and help, I'll do what I can, but the blood suckers can hit the road.

But now we come to the point where any who are believer's in The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit have no choice but to pray and seek The Lord for discernment. There are going to be those who talk the talk, but have no intention of walking the walk. Even if you are not a Christian and you are reading this, you know what I mean. How do you make this kind of judgement call? The first thing is not to judge by appearance, judge by actions. I'm sure we have all seen in any number of social situations those who are 'all show and no go'. They will talk a good game and even might roll up their sleeves and do some work. But they are doing the light work and not trying as hard as they should be.

Worst of all are the ones who show up, maybe do a little work, they might even do a lot of the hard work, but they are always looking around and asking questions about things that don't concern them. In my experience these are the ones who are sizing you up to come back later, possibly with heavily armed friends and they are going to take what they want. As a rule, I don't tell anyone about what I have or don't have. I WANT people to underestimate me. That way if they do come back late at night with weapons, they will get more than they bargained for.

More on this the next time.

Aug 12, 2019