There’s No Substitute for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
By Daryl Hoole We all know how to fill in the blank. Either you’re prepared, or you’re not. There is nothing that replaces preparation. A story is told about a man who wanted to hire an office boy. He posted a notice in the town newspaper and the following day there was a large group of boys waiting at his door in response to the ad. “Well, my lad,” said the man to one who appeared to be a good prospect. “You’ve seen the long line of boys outside waiting for this job. Is there any particular reason why you should have the job?” “Yes, sir,” replied the boy. “I’m the only one who brought his lunch.” He got the job. The Scout motto, “Be Prepared,” has important application in each of our lives. Certainly as wives and mothers, being prepared pays big dividends in our homes and in our lives. Following are a few guidelines about preparation, accompanied by real life examples: Plan ahead - When as I was serving with my husband as he presided over the Netherlands Amsterdam Mission, it wasn’t unusual for a young missionary to approach me at a zone conference, complain of a headache and ask if I had some Tylenol. I would inquire as to the cause of the headache. Invariably the elder or sister would say, “Well, I didn’t have any breakfast this morning and so I’ve developed this headache.”
Then I would ask, “How come you missed breakfast? Are you out of money?” The answer would almost always be, “No, not that. We just didn’t have anything in the apartment to eat.” Missionaries are young and inexperienced and life is teaching them self-management skills and self-reliance. They soon learn to keep their cupboards stocked. Sometimes we as adult homemakers slip a little and need to be reminded: If you knew yesterday that your family would be hungry today, you would want to be prepared ahead by having food supplies in the house. Another one, If you knew yesterday that your family would need clean clothing today, you would want to be prepared by keeping up with the laundry. - I mentioned to a friend that I was writing an article on “preparation” for my Meridian column and asked what advice she would offer. Her immediate response was: “Keep batteries on hand.”
- When the day has been especially busy and the dinner hour is rapidly approaching, a sense of relief is mine when I’ve planned ahead with food in the refrigerator that is oven-ready or dinner has been simmering in a crock-pot most of the day.
- I agree with whoever first said, “In order to keep Sunday holy, we must keep Saturday hopping.” It’s wonderful to greet the Sabbath with clothing clean and pressed, hair shampooed, church clothes laid out, and food for dinner prepared in advance.
The best preparation for good work tomorrow is to do good work today. |
Work ahead of, rather than behind, yourself - A neighbor summed up my experience exactly when she declared, “The closer to 6:00 a.m. I get up, the more successful is my day.” (I’m convinced of the truth of the old adage: An ounce of morning is worth a pound of afternoon.)
- For me, I find that if I don’t get dressed first thing every morning, then suddenly the hours have raced by and I’ve been interrupted by family members and the phone and it’s mid-morning and I’m still running around in my exercise clothes (or pajamas!). Such attire tends to impede my progress and makes me feel sloppy, which affects my productivity as well as my attitude.
- It’s helpful to have dishes clean and the dishwasher unloaded before dinner so a cluttered counter top and a pile of dishes in the sink do not hinder the cleanup, and before your helpers have disappeared. Smart use of the dishwasher is a key to a smoothly running kitchen.
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