By Default...

Instead of posting a talk today I thought I'd tell you something I learned at Womens Conference a few weeks ago. I thought about it a lot today and, well, I hope you don't mind. :)

In one of my classes I went to the speaker was from Alabama, which is tornado country. She showed us some slides while she talked. One picture was of her nice tall house. She told of a day she was leaving to go into town and left her husband and kids at home. It looked like a storm was coming when she left. Well, she got into town and it was too dark, rainy and windy that she pulled off the road into a back parking lot of a business.

She turned on the radio only to hear that a tornado was headed her way. She buckled her seatbelt on braced herself for a ride.

The tornado went straight down the street she was just on.

She called her husband to tell him she was alright and that the tornado had passed. He told her that the news is predicting the tornado is headed straight for their house. While they were talking they lost service.

Their family had previously decided that if they were ever home when a tornado hit that they would go under their stairs until the tornado passed. She hoped that this is what they were doing.

A little while later she got a call from her sister saying that everyone was alright but that the tornado hit her house. This call was disconnected too.

She didn't get home until the next day. Her house was completely destroyed.

Honestly it was amazing to me when I saw the picture that everyone, let alone anyone in the house survived.

Her family had all gone under the stairs like they had decided to do when they planned for it and they were all protected.

By previously deciding what they would do if a tornado struck they had confidence in a very dangerous and frightening situation.

They lived in tornado country. They knew the threat and they were prepared.

WHAT are some possible dangers that could threaten you PHYSICALLY?

EARTHQUAKE, FLOOD, FIRE, etc?

What is your plan? Does your family know the plan?

HOW about SPIRITUALLY?

BAD THOUGHTS, PORNOGRAPHY, ANGER?

What is your plan? When this danger threatens you, what are you going to do? By default we will do something. We always do something no matter if it is our best choice or not. By default we always do something.

Take a minute and really answer these questions. What are the dangers that you think you will face in your lifetime or maybe today or this week? WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Somethings that are dangers to me are getting easily frustrated with my kids. Since I had my third baby I yell at my kids more because it is easier. I do not like it when I yell at my kids. I know the Spirit leaves when I yell. That sounds pretty dangerous to me. I need to have the Spirit always. The Spirit is a protection I can have if I do things that are conducive to the Spirit. I don't think yelling is conducive to the Spirit. :)

When I feel like yelling my default will be that I will sit on the floor. Unless my child is going to get hit by a car or unless their is a fire like President Monson says, I will sit on the floor and change my focus. I will just sit right down until I feel better. Then I will start again.

When I have a bad thought, my default will be to sing a hymn out loud or in my mind.

I think this tornado story is a great illustration for kids on the importance of having a plan. What are they going to do when someone calls them a name? If they feel angry? If they are approached by a stranger? If they are offered drugs?

There is power in having a plan. "IF YE ARE PREPARED, YE SHALL NOT FEAR".

thanks for letting me share. i hope this gets you thinking. i hope you do something about it.

i hope you made it to the end. :) i hope you have a great week!