Being Spiritually Prepared

When I think of self-reliance, and being prepared I remember when our in-the-ground food cellar was flooded with spring rains. Mother was determined to save her food storage, and called upon her young children to help her. When we saw that the water level had reached the stairs, with only the top shelf of food showing above the water, and the water swarming with swimming frogs, we were less than enthusiastic. But we were convinced, for a mere popsicle, that the food needed saving and it became a memorable experience carrying out canning jars, buckets and frogs. Having food storage made me feel safe and prepared. I also think of being woken at 5:00 a.m., unwillingly, to go to weed and irrigate our garden on a piece of land donated by a farmer. Knowing we knew how to grow our own food, not just store it, made me feel safe and prepared. When I began an early morning scripture class and started studying the scriptures for myself, I realized I needed to not only take care of my physical body but my spirit as well. "How do I store food for my spiritual needs?" was a question I pondered as I thought about becoming spiritually self-reliant. While in college, reading scriptures and praying made me feel safe. Now I have children and know that also holding family home evening, paying tithing, attending the temple, honoring the Sabbath day, and serving others can also make me feel safe and prepared. But is that all we can do to be safe and prepared during stormy and turbulent times? When Mary was visited by the Angel Gabriel he announced, "Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." Can you imagine feeling everything Mary felt? The scriptures say Mary was "troubled at his saying," and that she "cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be." She also questioned, "How shall this be?" My point is that Mary obviously had done everything she needed to do to be spiritually prepared for stormy and turbulent times in her life, such as being the mother of the Savior. This is indicative merely by Heavenly Father's selection of her. So after absorbing the Angel's message, she said, "Behold the handmaiden of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word." She could only trust in Heavenly Father, to allow this complex situation to be a blessing in her life.