Dec292009
Joseph, Prince of Egypt. Survivalist.
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image by Bruno Girin
Our children have learned Bible stories from a very young age. They know Mary and Joseph, Moses, Joshua, Paul, and of course, Jesus. When we began to take seriously the idea of stocking up on groceries and gearing up for a future full of uncertainties, we decided it was time to reintroduce our kids to the story of Joseph.
Joseph, as you may recall, was pivotal in Egyptian history as a Hebrew prime minister who helped prepare the country for seven years of drought and famine. Led by God-given dreams to the Pharaoh, Joseph directed a massive food storage program that would put my own to shame! As a result, not only were the lives of the Egyptian people saved, but there was enough food for people in neighboring countries, including Joseph’s own family.
Our kids had a lot of questions as they saw extra shelving go up in the play room. Eventually those shelves were filled to overflowing with everything from canned ravioli to dried beans. “What is all this food for?” they wanted to know. One evening we sat down and reviewed Joseph’s story with them. A few key, relevant points jumped out as we talked.
- Joseph understood the signs that difficult times were coming. Although we don’t know exactly what lies ahead, our eyes and ears tell us that it’s time to prepare.
- Joseph kept adding a little each day, each week, and over time it added up to enough food for an entire country. Our jars of peanut butter and cans of tuna may not look like much, but when we add a little each week, it will soon be enough to last for a long time.
- Joseph’s food wasn’t for now, it was for later. No, we can’t dig into those boxes of granola bars right now! They’re for later!
- Joseph shared. Because of his foresight, planning and doing, there was enough food stored for everyone, including hungry neighbors. Our food storage isn’t something selfish, meant only for our family. We hope to have plenty to share.
Kids want and need to understand what is going on around them. The story of Joseph is a beautiful illustration of what your family is doing to prepare for the future, and it will go a long way to help your kids understand and allay any fears they might have. Revisit the story in Genesis 41 or watch, “Joseph, Prince of Egypt”, an excellent animated film of the famous story.
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J. Acevedo
Interesting way to teach kids about storing food!
I am LDS, and yes, it has always been a “way of life” for LDS people to store food and other essentials. When the fat cows come, it is always wise to stock-up on whatever extra we can get. Then, when the skinny cows come, we’ll have to keep our families safe, and maybe share with some unprepared neighbor. Remember the ant and grasshopper fable. The ants worked and saved food for winter. The grasshopper laughed and played his violin. When the winter came, athe ants were able to help the grasshopper.
An emergency doesn’t have to be a natural disaster. It can be the loss of the job, an accident, or anythng else. “If ye are prepared, ye need not fear” (D&C 38:30.)
thesurvivalmom
With all our children’s questions, we wanted to give them a thorough answer that made sense. You are so right about considering other possible scenarios. Sometimes it’s just a long-term health problem that affects a family’s income.
Thanks for dropping by my blog!
Dan
obviously God had that story in there to teach us something, be prepared. Great example for kids, but I think this story is just as important to adults too.
NewPrepper
I just learned a new lesson from this story from an educated acquaintance. I was asked by an 11-yr old boy what being Libertarian meant, so I said it was about honoring property rights and individual freedoms. The boy's grandfather was there, and he told Joseph's story to further illustrate what happens when government intervenes. He pointed to the fact that Joseph did not GIVE the food he'd stored, he SOLD it. After the first year, the people were out of money. After the second year, they no longer had any property. And in the third year, he made them slaves. I had never heard this take on it, so I went back and read the story, and he was 100% correct. Another example to be prepared to take care of yourself, so you won't have to rely on someone else!