By Vernalee
When we travel, we often carry a roadside emergency kit. We have battery cables, a flashlight, and other essential items. We may also carry a daily survival kit consisting of water, band-aids, Tylenol, and other first aid items. If we get lost along the way, we can use our GPS navigational system. If we have mechanical problems, we can call roadside assistance. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that we need the same tools spiritually. We need a Spiritual Survival Kit. The items that we need are designed to be with us in our hearts, minds, and souls at all times. As you will see, we can carry them with us to sustain us wherever we are and wherever we go. A spiritual emergency kit might include at least five things: 1) a prayer, 2) a scripture verse or psalm, 3) a place, 4) a practice, and 5) a friend. On the road, by the side of the road, and traveling on the road with us – is God. Thank you Lord for your never ending presence; for being there when we need you; for being there before we ask; and for providing the needs and desires of our hearts. Thank you Lord for being an “on time God;” readily available everyday of the week, 24 hours a day. God, we also thank you for equipping us with aids to help us make it through each day. If we are not connected with you Lord or if we’re not grounded in your Word, then storms, crises, problems – can overtake us. Having these five items in our Spiritual Survival Kit helps. 1. “A Prayer is a good thing to have at hand. Whether you memorize a prayer, make the Lord’s Prayer your own, or perhaps hold on to a special prayer —it’s good to know a prayer so that whenever you need it, it’s right there with you, inside of you. 2. A verse of Scripture works the same way. No matter what comes, you can remind yourself of God’s assurance, God’s strength, and God’s care by repeating the scripture you’ve “heard, read, marked, learned, and inwardly made your own. 3. A place that is holy and grounding can be a life-saver. When you feel like the world is spinning out of control, you simply go to your place and be still. A holy place might be your room, your church, a chapel, a garden, or any special place. You can be walking, sitting, standing. The place really doesn’t matter as long as you have a designation where you can hit a spiritual “re-set” button. 4. A spiritual emergency kit would also include a practice of some kind – a practice you can do without thinking about it; something calming and routine that puts you back in your own spiritual zone. It might be yoga, or meditation, or prayer. It might be riding a bike, or walking for twenty minutes. 5. Finally, a spiritual emergency kit would include contact information of a friend, or a clear cut way of reaching a friend. That friend might be a family member; it may be a religious person ... but it should be someone who you can tell the truth to, someone who will listen but not judge, and absorb what you’re saying. Such a friend will help get you through the roughest of rough places.” A prayer, a scripture verse, a place, a practice, and a friend – all of these ingredients work together like a kit to keep us going. If all else fails, no matter what, we’ve got the Lord! Blessings! Photo credit: www.drjnorwood.com; Source: www.jfbeddingfield.com